Sycophantically Speaking
by Superis
Summary: Without flattery and without direction, who knows where you'll end up?
1. Love Gives Us A Fairytale

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Ouran High School Host Club_, this fanfiction is purely for amusement's sake. Any quotations/characters/lyrics/etc that I may use do not belong to me. I only own the plot. (:**  
Universe:** Anime-verse (takes place _after_ episode 26).**  
Pairing(s):** Tamaki/Haruhi.**  
Rated:** T to M.**  
Sycophantic:** flattering, obsequious, fawning. (Now you don't have to look it up!)

_

* * *

Deep breaths._

That is the first thing Haruhi thinks when she sees the entire Host Club assembled outside her apartment. Her fingers tighten around the plastic shopping back and the bag cackles at her as she does so, almost as if it was laughing at her and taking pleasure in her frustration. Haruhi has two choices, one of them is to run away and avoid the house at all costs for the rest of the day. The other is to march up to them and tell them, bluntly, to get the hell off her property (her father's, technically speaking).

_If I tried the first one_, she muses to herself, _Tamaki would force Kyouya to send his army out looking for me. I don't think I can hide from secret agents…_

She frowns and stares up at the forget-me-not colored sky, watching the clouds skit across it playfully. She knows she isn't safe from them no matter where she might scarper off to, Japan or even outer space. But she also knows that she no longer has the desire to hide herself from them.

_But why do the have to visit so often? Don't they see me enough at school?_

Haruhi squares her shoulders and chooses invisible option three – greet them and ask them what they wanted. She begins to make her way forward; her feet drag as if she unconsciously didn't want to see them.

"Ha-ru-hi!" She hears someone sing. Haruhi doesn't need to lift her gaze to see who may be singing her name in such a joyous and uplifting tone. She knows who it is.

It's _always_ him.

A pair of slender yet firm arms enclose her in a hug, cradling her gently. Her head is pressed against his chest and despite it all; she feels that soft lullaby of security he sings envelop her.

"Haruhi, where have you been?" Tamaki says, resting his chin on her head, "We've been ever so worried! I almost had Kyouya send people to search for you!"

Behind him, Kyouya rolls his onyx eyes, half-amused.

"Sorry, senpai, father sent me out to get some shampoo." She says as Tamaki releases her. She almost wishes he didn't. _Almost_.

This statement is greeted by a very elongated silence. The kind of silence you get when someone wants to say something, but tactfully decides to let is slip and glosses it over with something such as, _'What a pretty dress!'_ The Host Club, however, stares at her in a very obvious way. The question the six boys want to ask her rest on their lips. Haruhi wonders who will be the first to ask it.

_It's either Tamaki or Honey_, she reasons, _both are innocently unaware. Or just unaware, in some people's case._

"Haru-chan, it's very early in the morning and he sent you out to buy _shampoo_?" Honey pipes up, clutching Usa-chan.

Mori glances at Honey from under his lashes, wishing that Honey didn't ask and Kyouya just moved over the awkward moment.

If it had been Tamaki that asked, Haruhi would have given him a very cold glare, expecting him to be more discreet about the matter, but since it was Honey…

"What can I say Honey-Senpai?" Haruhi tucks some of her hair behind her ears. It was growing out again. "Beauty for my father often comes first."

_Now_, Kyouya decides, _this is the time to intervene._

"Anyway," Kyouya cuts through smoothly, "Seeing as this is Honey and Mori's last year, you are going to join us for the remaining holidays and breaks."

It is not a request. It is not a question. It is simply a command. An imperative command. Part of her wants to be defiant and decline the offer politely, but seeing Honey's bright, sparkling eyes make her think twice. She scratches the back of her head thoughtfully.

"Haruhi," Hikaru purrs, snaking an arm around her shoulders, "Won't it be fun?"

Kaoru sidles over too, mimicking his brother's pose, "Won't you enjoy being with _us_ for this whole break?"

"And the _next_ one."

"And the _next_ one."

"And the _next_ one."

Hikaru leans forward, breathing onto her neck, "Enjoying us, Haruhi, just _us_."

"Right up until this year ends." Kaoru laughs a bit wickedly under his breath.

Haruhi looks up at the rest of the Host Club, Kyouya is writing down something as fast as his hands will let him, Honey is tottering along the edge of a wall while Mori waits nearby to catch him and Tamaki stands there, observing the twins harass Haruhi, his hands pressed against his face. Haruhi can see him almost daring the twins to go one step further, to do one more thing and push him over the edge—

Hikaru licks Haruhi's neck.

"_Hikaru!_" Tamaki raises his voice, "Get _off _her this instant! You're _destroying_ her _virtue_!"

The King rushes forward and pries the twins off Haruhi, casting them aside before crushing Haruhi to against his body gently, "Haruhi, my precious!"

"Sounding a _bit_ obsessive there, tono." Kaoru says cheerfully.

Hikaru leans against his brother, "Somewhat like that strange looking creature from _Lord Of The Rings_."

"Well, they _look_ the same, Hikaru."

The twins burst into laughter, pleased at having aggravated the King so. Tamaki's visage shatters, his violet eyes brimming with tears – which proves his dramatic declaration of not using eye drops true because Haruhi saw no such act being committed – and falls against the wall tragically, as if he had been shot by a bullet and was saying his last words. Haruhi hated to think of what would happen when he really died.

"Well?" Kyouya prompts amidst all the chaos. He was far beyond being used to it by now. He looks at Haruhi expectantly while she blinks at him, clearly at a loss as to what she was answering.

"…What?"

He pushes his glasses further up the bridge of his nose, "Will you be coming?"

Tamaki sprints over from his forlorn position by the wall – abandoning his death – and over to Haruhi and Kyouya, "Haruhi! Please don't say no!"

His giant, violet eyes are beseeching. They plead with her wordlessly, filled with what appear to be…sparkles.

She blinks. No, surely they can't be _sparkling_.

"Uh," Haruhi finds she is unable to wrench away her gaze from the said 'sparkles' in Tamaki's eyes, "S-sure."

If possible, the sparkles increase in their shine and size. "_See_, Kyouya! I _told_ you she would come!"

Tamaki and the twins all high five each other, whispering and laughing like evil seven-year-olds planning to trick someone they detested a great deal.

* * *

Tamaki bounds over to Haruhi as soon as he sees her in the airport, clutching her bags and staring wordlessly as the sight of a private airport of this size. For a moment, he's completely mesmerized by her breath-taking innocence and beauty.

_Those unscrupulous twins will never take her_, he thinks firmly, _never!_

"Haruhi," He calls out happily, "You're here!"

"Tamaki-Senpai." Haruhi greets him, "This is…very big."

Tamaki gallantly takes all the bags off Haruhi and carries them himself, "Mm, Kyouya's dad is just like that. Anyway, are you excited?"

Haruhi could see him basically fizzing with enthusiasm, his smile flashing in all directions.

"You could say that." Haruhi smiles at him. You couldn't be around such a euphoric person and not be affected by it for too long, anyway.

They make their way to the plane, talking animatedly (at least, Tamaki was) and through the entire plane ride, Haruhi was under the watchful eye of her 'father.'

"Um, senpai?" She says. Haruhi tugs on Tamaki's shirt and he turns to face her, a vacant expression on his face.

"Yes, Haruhi?"

"I'm just going over to talk to Hikaru and Kaoru."

Tamaki watches her carefully before sighing and continuing his thoughtful rambling inside his head. His eyes follow the clouds in sky as the plane cuts through them swiftly; he wishes he could reach out and touch one. His eyes continue to dart to Haruhi, making sure she is OK.

"Tamaki," Kyouya sighs, "When are you going to realize that Haruhi will not shatter the moment you leave her unattended?"

He doesn't reply for a moment. He wonders why, instead, he worries about Haruhi so much. _Well, she's your daughter; of course you worry about her._

When Tamaki voices these thoughts, Kyouya actually pauses in the reading of his book to look at Tamaki, "And when will you realize that she is not your daughter, of all things?"

_But if she isn't my daughter, what is she? How come I care so much?_

Tamaki tilts his head, "Kyou-kun, do you think I'm in love with Haruhi?"

Saying those words out loud seem to make them more concrete, more believable. They somehow become solid and real to Tamaki. But to him, it's almost as if he's a third person in this love, he detaches himself from it so he can observe the signs before he let's himself feel it. It is something he picked up from Kyouya over the years.

Kyouya places his book down slowly, he considers Tamaki's words and thinks that quite frankly, yes, Tamaki is in love with Haruhi. Yet he also thinks that he shouldn't be the one to tell him that he is. Tamaki has to realize it for himself. Kyouya knows that by Tamaki admitting these things and saying them out loud means that Tamaki is only considering the possibility in his head.

_When he finds out he is actually in love with Haruhi, he will implode._

"I wonder, Tamaki, but this break seams like a good time to find out."

Tamaki rests his chin elegantly on his hand, "Love does seem rather…fast doesn't it?"

_No._

"Depends on your definition of 'fast' I would think." Kyouya takes a sip of his chilled water, "Hopefully it is the same as mine."

"I don't know, Kyouya, I feel confused."

"All right, then let's start with: what made you think of being in love with her?"

"I think…I think Hikaru may be in love with her." Tamaki says thoughtfully.

_An interesting pair, but not - perhaps - the best.  
_

"And this provoked you to thinking that you may be too?"

"No, it made me think of why I felt jealous."

_At least jealousy has its pros._

"And what conclusion did you come to?"

"It's either I'm in love with her myself or I am so protective of her as my daughter that I think no one is good enough for her."

Kyouya is stunned into silence at this point. While he thought Tamaki was busy musing about his _Inner Mind Theater_, he was actually arguing internally about someone he may or may not love.

_Well, this certainly puts a twist on things_.

He smiles wryly, "It looks like you'll just have to trust your feelings on this one, Tamaki."

"Useless feelings." Tamaki mutters, uncharacteristically irritable.

Haruhi slips into the seat next to him and smiles at Kyouya and the King absently, "What's wrong with feelings?"

"Haruhi," Tamaki says, completely forgetting that he may or may not be in love with her, "Have you ever had the problem of being in love with someone but not knowing it and having the feeling that everyone around you knew that you were in love but couldn't tell you because you had to find out yourself?"

Silence.

"No…"

He sighs dramatically, brushing his hair away from his face, "I hope you're happy now, Okaa-san."

"I'm delighted, Otou-san."

"Lies! Lies and deceit!"

"Tamaki, have some hot chocolate."

He pouts like a child and turns away, "No."

Kyouya grins slyly to himself, going back to his book as Haruhi prods Tamaki curiously. She wonders what conversation she missed; she knows it must have been something extremely important/upsetting to get Tamaki into such a state of disagreeability for he was normally an amicable person who agreed with most people.

"Senpai," Haruhi says, "Your hot chocolate is here."

Tamaki pretends to have not heard her, brooding thoughts swimming around his head as he huddles into the darkest corner of his seat (which isn't very dark because of the overhead light Kyouya had put on).

"Senpai—"

Haruhi lets out a small cry. The piping hot drink spills over and sloshes onto her pants, scalding her. Her face contorts in pain.

"Haruhi!"

Tamaki, at once, springs out of his flaccid demeanor and rushes to help her, "Haruhi, my love, are you OK? Oh Good God, someone get a towel! And a pair of pants or a skirt or something!"

She laughs a little at his panicked state of mind, desperately trying to save her from any further pain. She wasn't hurt that badly, it was just the shock of it.

"Tamaki-Senpai," She says soothingly, "I'm fine, really."

"Are you _sure_? You don't look fine. That pair of pants is ruined, I tell you, ruined! What a horrid plane driver-flier-man-thing – _pilot_, that's the word – really, Kyouya – _fire_ _him_!"

Kyouya looks up from his literature, thoroughly amused, "Not too loud, kids, Honey is sleeping."

Both Haruhi and Tamaki turn slowly to look at the sleeping form of the senior, swallowing slightly. Mori gives them a very reproachful look, warning them silently.

"Hikaru and Kaoru finally fell asleep." Haruhi whispers, "They made me read them _six_ bedtime stories."

She huffs; those twins made her read children stories to them at that age. It was unacceptable to her. _Those two need a good lesson in growing up._ But when she thinks about the rest of the club and how they were all immature (well, maybe not Kyouya and Mori) in their own way, she softens slightly.

"Haruhi," Tamaki says, "Could you read _me _a bedtime story?"

She turns to look at him in disbelief, one eyebrow raised.

Kyouya flicks the overhead light off.

Tamaki shrinks under her scrutinizing and incredulous gaze. He covers his eyes with his blanket childishly and burrows his head into his pillow, murmuring a single, "Goodnight."

Haruhi lets out a long sigh and presses her lips together, knowing this would be one very long, very tiring trip to Rome.

"Once upon a time," She began, "There was a knight named…"

"Tamaki!" He interjects in a soft yet gleeful voice. He pushes away his blanket.

"A knight named Tamaki. One day, while Tamaki rode through the forest, he heard a cry for help."

"Tamaki thundered forward, rushing to see what was wrong. A girl had tripped and fallen over, she had broken her leg."

"Haruhi, make it a _happy_ story," Tamaki interjects.

Haruhi has no idea where these stories were coming from.

"She asked the knight for help, she was crying very hard."

No idea at all.

"Her name was Haruhi." Tamaki slurs, his drowsiness taking over.

She swallows, "And he saved her…"

Tamaki's breathing is becoming steadier, more paced, "And they got married."

Haruhi's throat constricts.

"And lived happily…"

"Ever after." She whispers hoarsely.

She knows Tamaki is fast asleep, she can see his angelic face lying on his pillow in all his perfection.

_Don't you ever wonder what you feel?_ Some small part of her mind, the unheard part, spoke out, _don't you wish you knew?_

She continues to gaze at him, unable to look away, and she continues to wonder.

* * *

**A/N:** Better? Worse? You tell me. :)

* * *

**20.05.10: **_Editing stuff_. Why did fanfic suddenly decide to remove all my page breakers? D: So rude, jeez!


	2. If I Go Crazy, I'm Still Superman To You

"Haruhi! _Get up_!"

Haruhi rolls over in bed, pulling her blanket closer around her small frame and burying her head deep inside her pillow. She's far away. Away from the twins, away from Kyouya, away from Honey and Mori… she's on a boat. A boat gently rocking against the current. Her body sways with the rhythm. She breathes in deeply, the salty air filling her lungs and her senses clearing. She smiles, the sun beating down against her skin. Her eye catches something, something gold and shiny. She leans forward. She tries to peer far into the turquoise water lashing against her boat. Another flash. Haruhi _wants_ it. She reaches out, her fingers inches away—

"Haruhi!"

She topples out of bed, sprawling out spectacularly on the thick, carpeted floor. She blinks a few times, her head is spinning wildly. Haruhi looks up and sees…

Gold.

Her shoulders slump. She was diving for _Tamaki_ of all things in the world? Haruhi gets up, dusting her nightgown and glaring at Tamaki.

"Haruhi, we've been trying to get you up for ages!" He whinges, "I'd thought that something dreadful might've happened to you – I was so worried, my—"

"Tamaki," Haruhi cuts across him, "Has your hair always been gold?"

There was a brief pause.

_Perhaps she has hit her head too hard as she fell on the floor. Damn it, I should have caught her! No need to worry, I'll take her to a doctor._

"Hai, Haruhi, I have _always_ had blonde hair." He speaks slowly, trying not to make any sudden movements.

She looks at him closely and then takes one of the golden locks into her fingers, tugging gently, "You didn't dye it, right?"

This frustrates Tamaki a bit. To think, the _Prince_ would dye his hair? To think that the _Prince_ would not have naturally, golden, beautiful hair? What a heinous thing to even let _cross_ your mind!

"Of course not," He says, lifting his head proudly, "My mother has the loveliest golden hair, ever. I believe I have inherited that gene."

Something invisible stretches in between them; the mention of Tamaki's mother dampens the already shaky mood. Haruhi pulls her hand away, only realizing how silky his hair is after leaving its touch. She puts her hands together, turning her back on him. Tamaki's face looks strangely vacant, as if he's thinking of something that brought good and bad memories at the same time and his expression could not mirror it.

"It was her birthday a few weeks ago." He murmurs suddenly, now staring out at the azure sky. He tries to focus on something, but in his mind's eye, he can see his mother clearly.

"Senpai."

The image of his mother fades and is replaced by Haruhi, who has turned slightly to face him amidst his mind wandering. A smile spreads automatically across his face as he reaches out to grab Haruhi's arm, "Come, Haruhi! We shall now explore Rome!"

He begins to drag her towards the door, jabbering along excitably about the great places they would see.

"_Oh the places you'll go_!" Tamaki quotes in the middle of his ramble.

"Eh, that's great, Senpai." Haruhi tries to pull her arm away discreetly, "But I need to change first."

"Oh!"

Tamaki lets go of her in hurry, a blush creeping along his face as he covers his mouth with his hand, "S-Sorry, Haruhi. I completely forgot."

She smiles a little devilishly – no doubt from spending too much time with a certain two boys – and then proceeds to shut the door in Tamaki's face.

* * *

Haruhi shields her eyes as she looks up at the sun glaring down at them. It plays teasingly in the sky, Haruhi feels like she's been put in an oven. Sighing, she turns to Kyouya, who is watching Tamaki carefully to make sure he doesn't do anything… Tamaki-like.

"Kyouya-Senpai?"

He gives her a fleeting glance to show he's listening.

"Do you think we could get out of the sun for a little bit?"

He straightens up, "Yes, I think we need that, too much Vitamin D."

"I thought you could never get 'too much' of it."

"I was referring to me."

"… Oh."

Kyouya motions for Mori to move along and he gathers up Honey. Tamaki is still playing tag with the twins, somewhere near a great waterfall.

"Heh, Tono, you can't catch us!"

"_Liars_! You're just playing dirty!"

Hikaru shakes his finger condescendingly at Tamaki, "Now, now, don't start with the name calling."

Kaoru grins evilly, "We both know two heads are better than one."

"Tamaki, Hikaru, Kaoru, get moving," Kyouya says, breaking up the fight. Haruhi is partially annoyed, those three musketeers are one of her few sources of entertainment.

_I might as well enjoy Rome while we're here_, she thinks dejectedly, _as Tamaki so fondly says, when in Rome…_

"Haruhi, Haruhi!" The twins say in unison, "Are you hungry?"

"Let us take you out, Haruhi," Hikaru says seductively, stroking her hand.

"Don't refuse, Haruhi," Kaoru purrs.

She twitches.

"SCONDRULS! LET _GO _OF HER!"

_Swoosh._

Haruhi is swept up Tamaki's arms before she can even blink. She is frozen for a moment before she realizes that he's wrapped around her protectively, she's aware that he's _holding_ her.

"Senpai! Get _off_!" She struggles to break his (surprisingly strong, for someone who doesn't like violence) grip.

Tamaki can't seem to hear her, he buries his head in her hair, breathing her scent, "Haruhi, my darling, how dare they touch you!"

She's aware that he's _touching_ her.

"Senpai…" Her protests have lost her zeal to leave his security.

"Never again, I promise."

She's aware that he's _whispering_ to her.

Somewhere at the end of the word, she can hear Kaoru and Hikaru calling out to her, telling her to jump out of his arms. To hit him vehemently with her camera bag.

"Do you want me to get you bodyguards?" Tamaki asks.

He places her down carefully and she slides out of his arms.

Now she's aware that she didn't _want_ to hit him with her camera bag and jump out of his arms. She didn't even want him to let go.

_Hm, this is strange._

"Or shall I protect you, dearest? I shall lay down my life for you!" Tamaki holds his hand to his heart dramatically.

"Enough of this riveting performance, let's go."

Kyouya, always the bearer of brutal honesty and diversions, steers all four 'children' (including 'Otou-San') in the direction of the city.

"You four are more trouble than you're worth." He says under his breath.

Tamaki flashes a grin in his direction, "We know you love us, Kyou-kun!"

"Very much," He replies in a dead-pan voice, "Do not hesitate to walk into oncoming traffic, Tamaki."

* * *

_Tick tock._

Bored. Oh _so_ bored.

_Tick tock._

Tamaki turns over in his bed, he's far from tired. Why did Kyouya make him go to bed, in the first place?

_Hold on, why am I listening to him?_

Tamaki throws his covers side hastily and clambers out of bed, rushing towards the door. His fingers close around the cold, metal door handle.

He stops.

_Where will I go?_

His grip slackens; he doesn't have anything to do if he's not doing with it someone. He needs a person to be there to tell him to 'stop it' or to 'keep quiet.'

He pales visibly at the mere thought of waking up Kyouya. He would be impaled by the smallest of movements from that monstrous—

_Unless Kyouya is secretly a superhero at night and refuses to tell us!_

Tamaki wrenches the door open and creeps along the hallway stealthily. He has to relay this exciting discovery to someone. Someone _worthy_ of this information. Someone who wouldn't overreact and tell everyone. Someone who wouldn't kill him the moment he touched the door handle. Someone who wouldn't stare him down. Some _people_ (in this case) he would not find doing things he doesn't want to think about with their twin.

_I've got it!_

He ambles along cheerfully and stops outside the door. He then pulls out his keys (who knows where they came from?) and opens her door quietly. He pads along the soft floor before coming to a stop next to her bed.

"Haruhi."

Nothing.

"Haruhi."

Nothing again.

He reaches out and pokes her tentatively.

"Huh…? What is it, father?"

Tamaki sucks his breath in. The world swirls around him. Had Haruhi called him _'father'_ just now?

"Oh! Senpai, it's you. I thought I was at home," Haruhi looks around, her eyes adjusting to the darkness, "What are you doing in my room…?"

He deflates. Haruhi had not meant to call him 'father' at all. And oddly enough, he feels relieved.

"I made a discovery." It comes out flat and boring.

She blinks, "How exciting."

He collapses onto the edge of her bed. _Aren't I meant to be sad that she didn't mean to call me 'daddy' and not relieved?_

Tamaki feels something touch him lightly on his side and he recoils, he's extremely ticklish. He pushes away her hand gently, trying to sort through his – slightly troubling – thoughts vigilantly.

"Haruhi, stop it," He says, preventing her from any further tickling by holding her hands firmly.

"But Senpai," Haruhi tries to pry her fingers out of his grasp, "You're in my room in the _middle of night_ and not answering _any_ of my questions."

He sighs and lets go of both her hands. Haruhi feels strange again, but she shakes it off in hope of goading Tamaki out of her room faster so she could go back to her dream. _Unless it is that dream about finding Tamaki. Then I'd rather have him _in_ my room._

She pauses for a moment, wondering what is worse: having Tamaki wake you up in the middle of the night or having Tamaki in your dreams.

_Mother in Heaven, you could at least let me have just one day without him. Please, just _one_ Tamaki-free day._

"Sorry, Haruhi," He says, cutting through her thoughts, "But I think I got distracted."

"Distracted by what?"

_By you referring to me as 'father' and me… not liking it._

"Water under the bridge, at this moment, my darling. What do you think about my superhero theory?"

Haruhi coughs, "I think this is _Kyouya-Senpai_ we're talking about."

"Ah."

She smiles in spite of herself; he did somehow manage to let his mind fabricate things that she couldn't even imagine.

He looks up at the sky in wonder, his violet orbs turning to a dark, almost black, colour as it reflects the night's sky. His eyes are sprinkled with stars, the moon emitting a pearly white sheen. Haruhi can't help but, at this point, to find him anything but completely beautiful. As odd it as it may sound, she is sure that Tamaki Suou is one of the most beautiful people she has ever met and will forever be that.

_The sun must be bad for me_, she concludes.

"Haruhi?"

"Mm?"

"Have you ever been in love?"

_That's an odd question._

"Uh, no."

"Oh."

_Why do you ask?_

"Are you in love, senpai?"

"Call me Tamaki, for once, Haruhi, we're not at school."

"I thought you got depressed the last time you made up rules like that last summer."

Tamaki looks at her a little sheepishly. _Trust Haruhi to bring things like that up._

"Times have changed, Haruhi! Now, say my name."

She rolls her eyes, picking at the bedspread distractedly, "Tamaki."

The name without the customary '-senpai' attached tastes strange on her mouth. It's like when you taste an unusual, exotic food you're not sure that you will like. The taste stays in her mouth long after she's swallowed it. It lingers on her lips, her tongue.

It's quite a nice tasting food, after all.

"I'm shocked, Haruhi! Normally you wouldn't listen unless I begged," Tamaki says gleefully. Maybe she's finally learning to listen to him.

She stretches, "I was actually hoping to get you out of my room, so I could sleep."

He pouts and puts his index fingers together. Haruhi dreads the moment when he looks up. No doubt he'll—

Puppy eyes.

"Tamaki," She takes another bite, "you need to sleep too."

He makes protesting noises like a child, protesting verbally, "But Haruhi, I don't _want_ to!"

"Why not?" She's exasperated.

"What if I have bad dreams?" His orbs fill with fear.

"What if you have good ones?"

"What if I die?"

"What if you didn't?"

"What if a mad axe man comes to behead me?"

"Then Kyouya's bound to be in his Super Hero outfit."

* * *

"So, what happened last night?"

Haruhi continues to lick her ice cream slowly, savouring the taste as she did so, "Huh?"

Kaoru leans against the railing next to her, keeping a careful eye on his brother, "I heard Tono."

"He thought Kyouya might be a Super Hero in disguise."

Kaoru nearly drops his ice cream in shock before dissolving into laughter. Haruhi watches him in amusement for a moment before continuing the exploration of her own ice cream. Kaoru splutters, wiping tears from his honey-coloured eyes.

"Where did that one come from?" He asks, after catching his breath.

"Beats me."

"What'd you say?"

"I told him to go to bed, naturally."

Kaoru observes her for a moment as she continues to devour her desert enthusiastically. He tosses aside his cone, right into a nearby trash can. Glancing over at Hikaru, he wonders whether Tamaki or Hikaru will be the first to realize their feelings. Then he wonders which one will be the first to be brave enough to admit they even had feelings for the 'short-fox.'

Haruhi, in the mean time, slows down her consumption of the ice cream. She comes to a complete stop, eventually, her tongue partially out of her mouth as she thinks about last night.

_Tamaki didn't deny he was in love. Does this mean that he is?_

A series of strange emotions envelop her after this surprisingly unsettling thought. She pulls her sweater around her tightly; even though the sun is shining brightly it seems to have gotten chillier. The first emotion she feels is slight shock. It's the obvious reaction to hearing such news. The second emotion she feels is happiness. Happiness that Tamaki has finally found someone. The third, and by far the strongest, is jealousy. It gnaws away at the lining of her stomach. Haruhi suddenly feels queasy and deposits her ice cream in the same trash can as Kaoru's.

The queasy sensation grows into something much more disturbing. It feels as if the wind is whipping right through her, slashing icicles against her bare bone. She hears a wave crash somewhere nearby, its sound is thunderous. She frowns, not realizing that they were anyway near a beach. Haruhi loves beaches, why didn't the Host Club tell her there was one near by?

"Mitskuni!"

She snaps out of her daze to hear Mori-Senpai's voice ring through air, calling for Honey. She peers over the edge of the railing to see Honey swimming to edge of a large lake, looking befuddled.

"Honey, how did you fall in?" Tamaki calls, rushing forward.

"I…don't know." Honey replies, blinking innocently, "I was chasing something pretty. I was about to grab it and I just fell forward."

Mori whips a towel out of nowhere and begins to dry Honey dutifully, "You need to be more careful."

"Yes, sorry, Takashi."

Haruhi lets out her breath in a _whoosh_. That feeling of jealousy did not disperse; it continues to gnaw unmercifully at her stomach, taunting her. She presses a hand to her stomach, trying to stifle it.

_I don't understand why I'm feeling so jealous._

Her brow furrows as she looks around for Kaoru. He's standing right next to her, looking as bewildered as she felt.

_Hold on, why is Kaoru looking so confused?_

"Kaoru!" Hikaru says loudly, "Tono says we're going to an amusement park!"

In a flash, Kaoru's face is smoothed out and he smiles at his brother, "Really? When?"

"After lunch, of course!" Honey pipes up, "Swimming makes me hungry."

Hikaru glances at his brother as the Host Club begins to walk towards the limousine.

He saw that look on his brother's face.

* * *

**A/N: **Sorry it took so long to finish. Bio test.

* * *

**Edited:** 19/06/10.


	3. Make Me Immortal With A Kiss

He's slightly tired. His cold hands are pressed to his chin, supporting his perfect face, his violet eyes gazing at something imaginary. He blinks lazily; nothing at this moment can tear his eyes away from the creamy wall.

"Tamaki?"

He doesn't want to lift his gaze; he hopes the person speaking to him doesn't mind.

"Tamaki?"

What a lovely voice that person has! It makes little shivers run up and down his body almost teasingly. It feels rather pleasant.

"Tamaki!"

He starts. Tamaki pulls his icy hands away from his face, staring at the girl before him in shock. _Why of course the person has a lovely voice_, he thought, _it's Haruhi._

"Haruhi," He purrs, "Forgive me, I was deep in thought."

She scratches her forehead, "Kyouya-senpai sent me to tell you that dinner is ready."

Tamaki is more than slightly tired, to be honest, he's overworked himself today. _If only I'd listened to Kyouya and gone to bed when he told me to. Damn him for being a superhero and knowing all!_ He sighs to himself, running his hands thoughtfully through his blonde hair. For a moment, he forgets that Haruhi is in the room but then she moves over to the window and presses her hands to it, a very far away expression on her face.

He watches her intently. Her breath is coming out in little puffs, misting the window up and creating swirls of white around her face. She moves her hands away, and they leave small hand-shaped outlines on the window that fade away before they even appear. Haruhi shivers slightly; it is oddly cold. Tamaki finds his thoughts straying. _How beautiful she is_, he strays further and further, _what beautiful children we would have together._

Tamaki freezes. He cannot believe what he had just thought. What is even worse is that the thought swirls around in his head, growing larger and larger.

_Tamaki Inner Mind Theatre:_

"_Oh! Tama-kun! How beautiful our children are!" Haruhi coos in a very unlike-Haruhi-manner._

_Tamaki brushes her soft hair away from her chocolate-colored eyes, "I believe they get their looks from their mother, my love, for you are the most beautiful thing in the world!"_

"_Oh, Tamaki!"_

Haruhi sidles over to Tamaki's side. She's not entirely sure what he's thinking for his expression is sparkling again. (Even though she deemed it not possible a while ago, it seems she has been proven wrong. Tamaki sparkles.)

She's unsure of whether to touch him but she risks it anyway. Reaching out tentatively, she brushes his shoulder with her hand softly.

Tamaki jumps nearly five feet away from her.

"Haruhi!"

"… What?" She blinks in surprise. _Was Tamaki repulsed by my touch?_

That same feeling of jealousy she had been repressing throughout the day bubbled up again. It swallowed her whole and ate her heart away. Her small hands cur up, nails digging into her flesh with suppressed rage.

_Why?_ She asked herself furiously, _what can this possibly mean?_

Tamaki's breathing slows down as he sees Haruhi avert her eyes, looking away from him. He composes himself, his brow furrowing with concern as he sees her fists. _Is she shaking?_

She tries hard to control herself, perhaps too hard. She shakes. Haruhi takes one long, deep breath. Her breath comes out in a _whoosh_ of relief and pent up emotion. She feels a pair of arms wrap around her protectively, the security lullaby sings out to her.

Tamaki doesn't know what's wrong, but he knows it is his fault. _Don't I always do something stupid or selfish?_ He twitches at this thought, thinking of what Kyouya once said. Then he thought of what the Host Club told him at the end of the Ouran Festival and… the drama. He lowers his head in shame, still holding Haruhi.

Haruhi doesn't respond. She stays perfectly still in his arms, half-wishing he'd let go and half-needing him not to. Her shaking stops and she feels that jealousy wash away, almost like a wave of clear, blue water. She feels somewhat better, but then she realizes it's Tamaki that has his arms around her.

_Tamaki_.

He senses a shift in her thoughts and emotions and his arms fall away, he knew it would never last forever.

* * *

"What's on your mind, Tamaki?"

He doesn't say anything to Kyouya for a moment as he thinks of how to phrase it. Tamaki is way past asking Kyouya how he knew something was wrong even if he doesn't say anything. He adjusts his sunglasses, looking for Haruhi. She sits at the edge of the pool, talking amicably to Mori and Honey. Well, Honey, at least.

"I don't know, Kyouya."

That is the most truthful thing he could think of – but it sounded too much like a lie used to avoid answering the question.

Fortunately, Kyouya was very adroit at reading Tamaki's unexpectedly complex mind.

"Last night, when you sent Haruhi to get me for dinner…"

Kyouya waits expectantly. He had hoped something would happen.

"She was," Tamaki tries to explain, "strange."

"How so?"

He shakes his head and lifts his crystal glass to his lips delicately. It scatters light across his perfectly toned body, "She was shaking."

Of all the things he had expected, he had not expected this. Perhaps there were things about Tamaki he still had to learn.

"Shaking?"

"I don't even know why, she was just…shaking."

He frowns to himself, putting his glass down gently. Kyouya's eyes shine silver briefly as his mind put two and two – or perhaps too many numbers possible for a normal mind – together.

"I'm sure you'll figure it out."

Tamaki glances at Kyouya, but his eyes automatically come back to Haruhi, who still hasn't moved from the edge of the pool. His eyes, once again, can't help but devour her. But this time, he notices things that attract him to her. The gentle, almost non-existent, curve of her hips and her delicate limbs. The way she appeared to look as breakable as porcelain, but was so much more than that. And now, with that rare glowing smile across her face, he feels a strong urge of desire. He wants to hold her, to press his lips against hers to see what she will feel like. He feels a blush rise to his cheeks as he thinks of these things, but bizarrely feels no shame. He tries to look away, but he doesn't want to. Possession, desire, wanting and needing. He feels himself glaring, and meaning it, at the twins as they flutter around Haruhi joyfully. He narrows his eyes, trying to keep his calm demeanor. Tamaki's anger is contained for once in his life as he pretends not to notice.

* * *

"Yeah! Haru-chan, it was so fun, ne, Takashi?"

"Ah."

"I wanted to go again, but I wasn't allowed."

"You would have gotten sick," Kaoru adds.

Honey protests, "Would not!"

"Would to!"

Haruhi laughs throughout dinner; eating her expensive food happily as they Host Club makes light conversation. She looks at Tamaki briefly as he stares intently at his plate of food, barely touching it. She wonders if he doesn't like risotto very much. _You would think he would get them to make him something else if he hates it that much._

His slim fingers reach out and run along the edge of his cup, completely immersed in his own mind.

"Haruhi?"

She turns to face the rest of the Club who blink at her, waiting for an answer.

"Y-Yes?"

"Didn't you hear us?"

"No, sorry, what were you saying?"

Honey leans forward, "I was saying we should go to that amusement park tomorrow!"

"Sounds like fun, Honey-Senpai."

"So it's settled!"

It is Tamaki's turn to be blinked at by the Host Club. He doesn't seem to notice and continues to run his finger along the rim of the cup.

"Tamaki?" Kyouya says, flicking the page of his book. He doesn't seem concerned about his best friend's behavior.

"Mm?"

"Shall we go to an amusement park tomorrow?"

"Uh, OK."

Honey jumps into the air, "Whee! Takashi, let's go get ready!"

"Yes."

"Haru-chan, do you want to come help us?" Honey asks, a picture of glee.

"No! Haruhi's coming with us!" The twins say in unison.

"That's not fair! Takashi!"

Mori-Senpai pats Honey's hair consolingly.

"It's not fair," He sniffles, "They always get Haruhi. It's like they _own_ her, or something."

Tamaki inhales sharply. He didn't want to hear Honey's sentence, he tries to pretend he didn't hear it in the first place. But it is too late: it has registered in the Files of Tamaki. He feels that anger bubble up again, right up to his throat. It is like heart burn, but flaring with the desire to scream. He tries to look composed.

"Um," Haruhi says, "I think I might go to bed. Sorry, Hikaru and Kaoru."

They look crestfallen, but then Kaoru brightens up again, "But we'll spend tomorrow together!"

Hikaru merely pouts.

Kyouya tells them to get to bed and stop wasting his time. Everyone troops off obediently. Using his magical powers of unknown origin, Kyouya manages to get Tamaki to walk Haruhi to her room. He hopes one of them will realize they're in love _before_ he dies.

Tamaki walks her to her room as Okaa-san asked, but he doesn't really say much at all to her. He still has that puzzled, vacant expression on his face. It's almost as if he's stuck on an impossible Math question.

"Tamaki?"

He raises his eyes to meet hers. Haruhi sees what is in them. It's the same smoldering passion she saw when they jumped off that bridge. It's the same soft sadness she sees when he plays piano. It's the same breath-taking radiance that she sees everyday.

"Are you okay?" She asks, softly.

Tamaki is speechless. His words will not leave his lips; he cannot express what he wants to. His anger and his passion were almost overfilling him, along with several other emotion he thought should have names but really don't.

"They don't _own you_." He finally splutters, throwing open her door dramatically. He doesn't want to focus on her; he knows she will render him wordless.

"Of course they don't." She says in a very practical manner, shutting the door quietly.

"No, you don't _understand_!" Tamaki takes her by the shoulders, "You just — you_ don't_!"

"If you would explain, I would," She says dryly.

"I can't," Tamaki looks frustrated with himself, "I just can't. It's impossible. I don't know what I'm feeling, so I can't explain it."

Her heart constricts. _I don't know what I'm feeling_. Is he in the same predicament she was in? Of simply not knowing and being so angry with that unknown feeling that you vented it out in other places?

He doesn't release her. He stares at Haruhi, at her face. She doesn't seem to have a definite expression on it, it is almost as if it is lingering in between wanting to say something and not knowing how. She closes her eyes, her long eyelashes casting shadows across her face. Tamaki forgets to breathe. But then those feelings, those ones he doesn't quite know of yet, come back to him. Desire to posses. Urges to hold her. He _needs_ her.

He crushes her small frame gently against his, pressing their bodies together. He breathes in her intoxicating scent, savors the feeling of her in his arms.

Haruhi doesn't open her eyes. She's afraid – does she dare admit it? – that this is nothing but a dream. For once, nightmare is not what she's associating with Tamaki. She feels her own arms rise and wrap around his waist, encircling him. Then she feels a pair of lips, soft ones, graze her forehead gently. She raises her chin, urging those lips forward silently.

Before she can breathe, those lips cover hers.

This is not like the time she was kissed by mistake, this is something entirely different. She feels Tamaki's lips move slowly across hers before they fall into a pattern of kissing gently. Something at the bottom of her stomach awakens – craving. Not having felt this before, it all feels strange to Haruhi. But she lets it happen anyway. Suddenly, she feels something against her back. A wall. _How did I get here?_ She doesn't care, she realizes, all she cares about is the body pressed against hers.

"Mine, Haruhi," Tamaki breathes, "I want you to be _mine_."

The kisses deepen; they become more possessive – more passionate. They run along her neck and her jaw line, she pushes against him harder. The lips cover hers again, creating what is obviously havoc amongst her senses, so unused to such pleasure. Tamaki's slender fingers run through her hair, down her back, creeping under her top. She lets out an involuntary gasp as she feels his body – his bare flesh – touch hers. The contact between them is like a static current.

"Tamaki—"

He stops kissing her. His hands freeze under her top. He stops pressing her against the wall.

They stay frozen like that for quite a while, watching time pass them by. Tamaki's breath is warm on her neck and he breathes in and out steadily.

"Haruhi — I'm so sorry. I _didn't_ – I feel – I was—"

He cuts off, pulling away from her but wanting her – needing her – more than ever. She doesn't say anything. She simply looks at him.

"I'm sorry, Haruhi — I felt—"

He turns away and she hears the door shut. She stays there, backed up against the wall, still feeling Tamaki's body on hers. Still realizing that she likes it. Still realizing that she wants it. Still realizing her feelings for him which became clearer now, more than ever.

_Come back_, she thinks hollowly, _don't go._

* * *

He runs to him room and closes the door behind him. Tamaki is breathing quickly and unevenly, it comes out in short gasps. All he can think about is Haruhi's lips and her breath, the way she said his name. He closes his eyes, trying to erase it, but all he saw was her face etched into his retinas.

He leans against the door, sliding down it dejectedly.

_You ran away._

He shuts his eyes tightly, hugging his knees close to his body.

_You're running away now._

He rocks back and forth. It can't be true.

_From her._

He runs both his hands through his hair.

_And from love._

Outside, in the darkness, a tree whips around in the wind violently. It tries to withstand the force, but ends up snapping in half with an almighty cracking noise that echoes for miles.

* * *

**Edited:** 19/06/10.


	4. You're Nothing Short Of My Everything

_If I go out there and pretend nothing has happened, I'll be hurting her. But if I stay in here and show everyone that something did happen, I'll hurt her more._

Tamaki has never really liked decisions of great importance. He is someone who decides thing on a whim, a spur of the moment, last minute kind of guy. Not a let's-think-about-this-seriously person. He isn't _Kyouya_. He turns over in bed, the sun has nearly risen. The sky is streaked with gold, orange and tinged with pink all along the edges. It appears to be laughing at him, glimmering in triumph.

_Stupid sun. Knowing all the answers to life, _he thinks huffily.

"What is this?" Tamaki says, staring at the ceiling, "An out of nowhere coup d'état of the heart?"

The sun casts long shadows of deep orange across the ceiling, illuminating it. Tamaki remains still, his breathing very deep. Then, almost as if a shaft of bright orange light went straight into his heart, he sits up abruptly. Throwing aside the covers, he rushes to a nearby mirror and grabs the gilded edges with his hands, the pattern pressing into his skin.

"What would Kyouya do, Tamaki?" He says to himself, "Think!"

His reflection doesn't answer – secretly, he would have been quite worried if it did – and he stays like that, staring at himself, until his hands give way. He falls to his knees, collapsing in defeat.

"Mother," He says softly, "You would know what to do."

He closes his eyes, a picture of his mother appearing before him. Her welcoming smile, her loving eyes. All he wishes is for her to say that everything will be okay and to hug him.

The only thing that comes closest to her comfort (and is _not_ female by the name of Haruhi) at the moment is Kyouya. Tamaki pushes himself off the ground and opens the door quietly. His eyes roam around the deserted hallway, making sure that everything is safe. Safe in this case means no Haruhi waiting to pounce on him for…

_Wait, why am I scared of this?_

He pauses on his way to Kyouya's door, wondering why he is so panicked. Haruhi didn't stop that kiss, she didn't protest to it. So why is he so worked up?

A strange feeling engulfs him. He swallows it down and quickens his pace. He opens Kyouya's door very softly. He tries to not make too much noise – or be faced with the formidable Low Blood Pressure Lord – as he edges inside.

"Kyouya?"

There is no response. Tamaki did not expect one.

"Kyouya," Tamaki decides to try saying it before he actually admits to a person who's listening, "I kissed Haruhi."

Saying it makes his heart wrench, his stomach drop and his body flutter. The words his lips form are surreal, something he would have never have realized he was ever to say.

"What?"

"Ah!"

Tamaki leaps away from his best friend's bed, using a couch for protection. He didn't realize Kyouya was just ignoring him because that's just what Kyouya does.

"What? You were _awake_? Why didn't you answer me the first time?" Tamaki shakes his fist angrily at Kyouya (from a distance, of course).

Kyouya puts on his glasses, smoothing his dishevelled hair, "You kissed who?"

"IkissedHaruhibutIdidn'tmeantoreallly."

Kyouya uses his Limited Edition Tamaki Inner Mind Dictionary to decipher this, "What do you mean you didn't mean to?"

"Well… that may have been a lie. I _did_ want to," He admits, collapsing onto his couch of protection.

"And you did. Well done."

"You don't get it – I just don't know what to do now."

Kyouya pushes his glasses onto the bridge of his nose firmly, "That's simple, Tamaki. I would have thought you, of all people, would have been the first to think of it seeing as you do it quite often."

He tries to think of something he does often, but nothing really comes to mind. Tamaki presses a finger to his cheek, "I give up. What do I do, Kyou-kun?"

"Three words: follow your heart."

Tamaki's shoulders sink. "Thanks for that."

"What did you want? A strategic plan and map?" Kyouya asks sarcastically.

"No! But something more than three words would have been nice!"

"Some things you've got to figure out on your own, Tamaki, not everyone can be there for you."

He looks up at the chandelier above him, tinkling with crystal and splaying light across the room as the sun glints off it aggressively.

"Well, I hope you're happy." Tamaki says softly.

"I am."

"If you _knew_ I was in love, _why_ didn't you just_ tell _me?" Tamaki looks aggrieved, clutching his pyjama shirt in desperation.

Kyouya takes off his glasses and places them on the bedside table. He then pulls the covers up to over his head and says in a muffled voice, "As I said before: some things you've got to figure out on your own."

* * *

An amusement park. Haruhi is standing in an amusement park in a time of her life where she just wants to bury her head under a pillow and figure out a way to talk to the princely young man next to her.

'_Princely young man!' I really am going insane. Maybe when ever you touch Tamaki, he releases an insanity dust that consumes you and makes you think like he would…_

Tamaki has been nothing but polite, kind and distant to the Host Club throughout the day. If you saw him, you would think that he was no different from his usual flamboyant self. Yet Haruhi noticed that every time people turn away, look in a different direction or divert their eyes for even a moment, a darker expression clouds his face. She pushes her hair out of her eyes, her fingers felt warm compared to her forehead.

"Let's go on the rollercoaster!" Honey is barely able to contain his excitement.

"Yes! Let us go!" Hikaru and Kaoru say dramatically, hooking their arms around Haruhi. She feels strange now when ever they touch her. She's never noticed the differences in the way people touch her before.

The twins, Honey and Mori drag Haruhi to the line for the rollercoaster.

Honey jumps up and down, "This is so much fun, Haru-chan! I'm so excited!"

"Y-Yeah," She stammers, wondering if Tamaki is to join them.

"Eh, you need someone to sit next to you, Haruhi! I don't want some creepy old man licking his lips at you." Hikaru shudders at the very thought.

"Hikaru," Kaoru inserts, "Would you like to sit next to her? I don't have to go on the rollercoaster right away—"

"No, I'll sit next to her."

Haruhi tries to be very engrossed in Honey's explanation of how he threw up candyfloss after his last ride on this rollercoaster, but his words aren't even getting to her ears. She hopes she won't hold onto Tamaki or anything like that, it would better if she just died before that.

_Mother in Heaven, save me!_

The rollercoaster is called the "Corkscrew." Haruhi sees why. It twists and turns and loops in every angle possible. She slides into the seat next to Tamaki, fastening her safety belt. A man walks past, checking everybody in a very distracted manner. The rollercoaster begins its ascent towards some sort of metal hill. She swallows as it climbs higher and higher, she has never been on a rollercoaster before. Haruhi starts praying to her Mother harder and harder.

They reach the top, the excitement and fear tingles in the air, everyone is filled with adrenaline. The rollercoaster lurches forward, air rushing right past her as she clutches on for dear life. She tries to scream but nothing will come out of her mouth. Her knuckles are white from holding on so tightly. _When will it stop? What sort of amusement is _this_, anyway?_

"This is not amusing!" Haruhi shouts. They're gaining speed, faster and faster.

Then everything stops.

They lurch forward again, coming to an abrupt stop right before a large loop-the-loop. Haruhi's grip loosens in surprise and she wonders what is going on. They're at least ten feet – probably more – off the ground. How are they just going to stay here? She hopes it is not part of the ride.

_Well, this is waste of time._

"We seem to have a problem!" Someone calls, "Just stay calm and everything will be fine!"

"Haru-chan!" Honey calls from the front of the rollercoaster. They were spilt up when they were choosing seats. "Are you okay?"

"Yes!" She says to him, "Don't worry about me! I have Tamaki!"

"That's why he's worried, Haruhi!" Hikaru says jokingly.

She hears Tamaki give an exasperated sigh as he looks down at Kyouya.

_He rather small from all the way up here. Like a splotch_, he muses.

He turns to see Haruhi looking at him intently, her soft eyes penetrating him.

"You know," Tamaki says after a moment, "In _normal_ love stories, the hero and heroine get stuck on a Ferris wheel. Not a rollercoaster."

Haruhi rolls her eyes, "Who said we were lovers?"

Tamaki's throat goes dry. He gulps and his violet eyes dart around anxiously, "I guess… I did."

Haruhi feels her eyes widen, "Huh?"

_Here it goes. Strategic plan and map: following your heart._

"I know I've been avoiding you this morning," he begins, "But I think I had to have some time to think."

"You certainly didn't need time to think last night," Haruhi says bluntly.

_Useless map! It's sending me in the wrong direction!_

"I know, but I was… afraid."

"Afraid of _what_, Tamaki? What is there to be so scared of?" She says this with a bit if vehemence.

"My heart. It's a bit off an odd thing, really. I'm so used to making other people happy and filling their dreams," He tries not to look at her, "I enjoy that. It's one of the few things in the world that I cherish."

Haruhi doesn't have a response to this. Her lips part, but no words come to mind.

"I suppose that there isn't actually much for me to say," he exhales, "But even if _you_ don't, Haruhi, _I_ love you."

Haruhi sucks all her breath in. She's certain she's on that rollercoaster again, unable to breathe, unable to say anything or even move.

He mind flashes through all those images of Tamaki and his smiles, his laughter, his selflessness. Tamaki helping her find her wallet in the pond outside. Tamaki playing the piano. Tamaki helping people for no gain what-so-ever. Tamaki jumping off that bridge, into her arms. Tamaki dancing with her. The pictures flash by so fast that they become a blur.

Tamaki still hasn't said anything to her; he lets her sit in silence. He feels no need to break it, but his heart beats erratically. He runs his finger along his wrist nervously, keeping his face turned downwards.

"But… why?"

His head jerks up and he sees her eyes filled with confusion. He tries to form an answer, one that will make sense to not just him (and Kyouya), "Those feelings, those ones I can't describe, is what I feel about you."

"Do you think," she asks, "You could try to explain them?"

_I just have to be sure. I'm sorry, Tamaki, this is not meant to hurt you._

He halts temporarily, "I-I think it was like when I kissed you. Like I expressed everything in that one kiss."

"Is that what you meant by me being yours?" Haruhi conjectures out loud.

She sees his cheeks turn red. Another picture flickers in her head of him doing the exact same thing.

"Sorry, Haruhi, for saying that. You're not… a possession."

She purses her lips together. _Finally, someone realizes I am not part of their property._

She closes her eyes, trying to relax herself. She has the feeling that if she took a look inside her, her heart would be thudding rapidly, unable to contain itself as it bounced off walls and that her mind would be running around screaming inaudibly. In short: she would find a ruckus of epic proportions.

"Thank you for realizing that," she says shortly.

Tamaki flinches as her cutting tone slices right through him like a cold wind. He sighs dismally and rests his elbow on the side of the bar.

"Oi! Haruhi! Are you OK?" Hikaru calls again.

"Yes, I'm fine!" She says, waving.

_Well, I'm not fine. Thanks Kyouya, for your map and strategic plan of following my heart. It's led me to a lion's den._

"Ah," Tamaki says to himself, "I'm a dark cave with a wet match."

"What was that?" Haruhi asks immediately.

"Nothing."

"You talk to yourself, Tamaki?"

"… Sometimes."

"Yet another great discovery of Tamaki Souh."

"Thanks, Haruhi, for thinking I'm great!"

Haruhi leans back against the hard, leather seat. She tries to get comfortable, "Uh, if you say so."

Tamaki wishes she would say something about him loving her.

Haruhi wishes she could say something about him loving her.

Silence.

"Haruhi?"

"Yes?"

"Do you love me too?"

_Well I had to say something. My heart won't stop following itself._

"Yes."

"Oh, OK. I thought s—wait, what?"

Tamaki nearly leaps up in shock (but he cannot for he is chained down by the very things that are meant to save him).

"I don't know," Haruhi sits up properly, "I just… do."

"Hold on there, we're not getting married just yet."

A small smile elicits from this comment, "I'll keep that in mind."

The comical moment between them fades and Tamaki runs his hands through his hair, "So, you do?"

"I love you too. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

Tamaki reaches out as far as possible, completely wrapping his arms around Haruhi, "Yes!"

She doesn't try to squirm away, but strokes his hair gingerly; this was going to take some time to get used to.

"I fell in love with a clueless king."

"A _beautiful_ clueless king," Tamaki nestles against her softly, "And you shall be my beautiful queen!"

Haruhi laughs at this, finding it inexplicably funny. After a moment she says, "What about your grandmother?"

Tamaki pulls away and tilts his head, "What about her?"

He says it in such a carefree, uplifted manner that it almost makes her forget why she brought up his grandmother in the first place. She has to admit, she's finally realized what that feeling inside her for Tamaki was. It was like taking a weight off her chest when she finally understood how she felt. _It did take a while, but at least we got here in the end._

Tamaki is practically bouncing around in his seat, trying to keep a lid on all the emotions of complete and utter ecstasy inside of him. _Haruhi loves me! Me! Ahah, Kyou-kun was right. No fair though, he's going to smile at me in that way that shows he knew he was right in the first place. You wait, when I find out his secret superhero lair, I'm going to expose him and smile just like he does… I might have to practice though._

Tamaki strokes his chin thoughtfully, wondering where his first date with Haruhi will be.

"Won't she disapprove of me?" Haruhi breaks into his thoughts.

Tamaki snaps his head around to face her, "What effect does that have on me? I'm me before I am a Souh, Haruhi."

She has heard this many times before, but at the moment everything seems so dreamlike. She struggles to grasp it.

"It doesn't matter anyway. Father likes you!"

"He does?"

"Yes, of course he does! Who _ doesn't_ like you, Haruhi?"

She coughs. Haruhi can think of a few people.

"Actual—"

Her words turn into a scream as they rollercoaster begins to move again. And this time, she doesn't have to place death before holding onto Tamaki.

* * *

"Wasn't that fun, Haru-chan?" Honey pipes up as they buy candy floss.

Haruhi didn't enjoy the rollercoaster very much. But she has enjoyed the rest of the rides she has been on so far. She nods happily, "Yeah, it was, Honey-Senpai."

Honey blinks at Haruhi, noticing her delighted and glowing expression as she orders some candy floss. _She looks different._

He helps Haruhi gather up all the candy floss and distribute it to the Host Club. Everyone besides Kyouya and Mori eat away cheerfully. Kaoru shares with Hikaru, both playing with the candy floss more than actually eating it.

"If you're not gonna eat it, give it to me! That is a waste of sugar!" Honey says to the twins irritably.

"Relax, Honey, we're going to eat it. We just prefer to play with our food." Kaoru says, reassuring the loli-shota.

"Don't we, Haruhi?" Hikaru adds wickedly.

Haruhi looks up, "Um… sure."

She continues to eat, a small smile never leaving her face. Hikaru narrows his eyes slightly. Tamaki and Haruhi are sitting a bit too close together for his liking. Weren't they barely speaking to each other just this morning? He glances at his brother who tells him everything with his eyes. Honey nods knowingly at Mori. Kyouya in the mean time, sits there with his legs crossed, looking decidedly pleased with himself. He smiles slyly at the twins and they both give each other very questioning looks. Their suspicious increases.

Haruhi and Tamaki are both oblivious to this. Though they both are not speaking, they seem to be content with themselves. Haruhi nibbles away, still smiling.

The reason for their contentment was obvious, but for both students, it had not actually sunk it that they were in love. Both just felt as if a weight of their mind had been lifted, they were yet to feel that bond of love. Haruhi turns to Tamaki and gives him a bright smile.

"Are we ready to go?" Kyouya asks, before the enraged twins can say anything about Haruhi's smile.

"Sure!" Tamaki says, holding out his hand for Haruhi.

Haruhi slips her hand into his as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Both twins fall over in disbelief as Honey's eyes expand in astonishment.

Kyouya lingers behind the rest of the club as they stare after Tamaki and Haruhi in shock. The twins look thunderstruck.

"Mitskuni," Mori prompts, "We need to go."

Honey nods very slowly, still staring.

Kyouya walks up to the operator of the rollercoaster and hands him a cheque, a charming smile on his face, "Thank you."

* * *

**A/N:** Thank you to **I'm not Weird, I'm Gifted** for the correction. :D

* * *

**Edited:** 19/06/10.


	5. Thou Art To Me A Delicious Torment

Out of all the strangest things Tamaki takes delight in, one of them is candles. He likes the smell of scented candles (lavender being his favorite) and the feel of their smooth wax. He likes how they can hold a flame captive and he likes how they melt away and yield beneath its heat. He supposes that one of the reasons he likes candles is because they make him think of Haruhi. They shouldn't, really, for what does a candle have to do with his love? It has no relevance what so ever. Yet he likes to think of Haruhi as a lavender scented candle and him as the flame that is held captive.

Haruhi watches the Prince from afar, leaning over a candle and grinning to himself. She glances at him worriedly, wondering about what he may be planning.

"Kyouya-Senpai?"

Kyouya doesn't look up form his calculations. Ever since their arrival home, he's been calculating their losses and ways to regain the money. Even now, just before the Host Club opens, he's busy formulating new plans and plots.

_When are people not plotting something in this club?_ Haruhi thinks.

"Yes, Haruhi?"

"What is Tamaki doing?"

Kyouya doesn't need to lift his gaze to examine the actions of Tamaki; he knows very well what that blonde is doing, "Playing with candles."

"…Why?"

"Tamaki likes candles."

This simple sentence is somewhat overwhelming for Haruhi and she assumes that she has heard wrong and repeats the answer back to Kyouya. Kyouya merely nods, smiling slightly at her surprise.

_I don't see why this should surprise me. Have I not been here long enough to know that they have heart attacks over the smallest things and indulge in the stupidest?_

The doors fly open and a flood of excited, young ladies come streaming in.

* * *

Tamaki insists he walk Haruhi home, seeing as she would not accept a lift. He ambles along side her playfully, tugging on leaves and flowers as they pass them. They don't say much to each other, for their actions are louder than words. Haruhi isn't used to Tamaki not saying a lot and keeps shooting looks at him to make sure that he's OK.

"Haruhi, stop looking at me like I'm on my death bed." Tamaki says, after a while of silence.

"You weren't saying anything," She says drily, "It's reason to be worried."

He frowns, "I'm not always talking you know. Sometimes it's good to be silent."

Haruhi raises her eyebrows, "And where did you learn that?"

"Kyou-kun."

Haruhi doesn't reply. She turns her face heavenwards, drinking in the sky. Two pigeons flutter nearby, basking in each other's love. They come to rest on the rim of a pond, dipping their beaks into the cool liquid. It sends ripples along the smooth surface, breaking its still, gleaming face. It gives the impression that the sky, reflected in its surface, is dancing and that the clouds are floating along harmoniously in its wake. The sun smiles from below them, winking delightedly.

Haruhi stops in her tracks and begins to rummage around in her bag.

"Haruhi? What are you looking for?"

"Just some… _aha_!"

She brings out a slice of bread and tears it in two, giving some to Tamaki who takes it wordlessly.

"But Haruhi," He says after a moment, "I'm not hungry."

She almost falls over.

"It's not for you, silly! It's for the birds." She explains, throwing small pieces amongst the sharp blades of grass. The birds crowd around her, signing appreciative, melodious songs.

The puzzle pieces slide into place in Tamaki's head and he laughs half-heartedly, "Oh! I knew that!"

He takes his place next to Haruhi and mimics her, the birds crowding around him too. They sit like that for a long time until the sun begins to slide out of the sky.

"Haruhi, shouldn't we go? Your father might be worried," Tamaki says softly, tugging on Haruhi's blazer.

She snaps out of her reverie and takes his hand. They continue there walk. The walk is just as it was before, silent. But this time it is an almost mournful silence. Even if she wants to, Haruhi can not speak, for the words in her mouth stick in her throat and refuse to leave.

A smooth, black limousine passes them as they stroll along. She sees the young couple and her eyes narrow. Her aged fingers tighten as she spots her filthy grandson with an even filthier commoner.

"Get my son on the phone." She barks at the driver.

He obliges hastily, not wanting to be he victim of her wrath and pitying the one who is soon going to be.

* * *

The weeks pass and nothing happens. Those weeks turn into months. The mournful silence growing, the strain over the heart. Haruhi sits next to Tamaki on a couch in the 2nd mansion of the Souh's. She doesn't feel uncomfortable, but she doesn't feel like she should be here either.

"Tamaki!" His grandmother calls out suddenly, "I am going."

He bows respectfully. Her eyes fall on Haruhi and her lip curls in disgust before she sweeps out of the mansion. Haruhi recoils inwardly at that look, but her exterior remains cold and indifferent.

Tamaki collapses next to her, his eyes fixed on the ceiling above him, "Do you feel that?"

"Feel what?"

"Exactly. Nothing."

He sits up and sighs. It is his greatest pleasure to have Haruhi next to him, to hold her and to kiss her. He values that even beyond his life, but some part of him feels empty – almost untouched – by her love. He's giving her everything he's got (literally, in some cases) but she declines some of it. It's almost as if she's pushing him away.

"Haruhi," He says experimentally, "I love you."

"I love you too."

She says it automatically, like she doesn't mean, like it is merely an obligation.

"Do you?" He says it so quietly that she's not sure that she has heard correctly.

_Of course I do_, she wants to say,_ why wouldn't I love you? Really, Tamaki, what's gotten into you?_

The words stick in her throat again, and the sorrowful silence arrives on cue. Tamaki stares at Haruhi, his beautiful eyes almost aching with loss, "If you don't want to love me, Haruhi, you don't have to. I am not something you… need."

_Yes you are. How can you say something like that?_

The words don't leave her lips.

"I'll take you home now." He says just as quietly.

_No, wait, don't! _

He can't hear her. Because she hasn't spoken.

* * *

She lies on the grass in a park after finishing her studies. She doesn't know how long she has been lying here; all she knows is that she doesn't want to move. The sharp, green blades of grass beneath her enliven her senses; the steady noise of the waterfall somewhere nearby lulls her into a surreal world. She closes her eyes; the sun behind her eyelids is flaming red. For passion. For love.

Normally, males did not bother Haruhi. She understood them scientifically. To be the opposite of a female, to help reproduce. All males were alike to her. With one exception: Tamaki. He shouldn't be an exception at all, for he is very male-like in nearly every single way. But he also has female characteristics. His emotions change so quickly, it was like he has PMS. His eyes can fill up with tears so fast, it's as if he were a woman. But when needs be all these things were pushed aside. Yet his manners and his courtesy never left him once. All these things wove one complicated male named Tamaki. _He's too convoluted for his own good._

When Haruhi admitted to loving him on that rollercoaster, she knew she did. She knows she still does. But one thing bothers her: she doesn't know how much she loves him. This annoys her. It prevents her from things she wants. There are few things that she wants in life and she is positive that Tamaki is one of them. It took her a while to realize it and it took an even longer time for her to admit it, but she got there in the end.

_So why is this happening?

* * *

_

She had not heard from, seen or contacted him for almost two weeks now. She did see him at school and at the Host Club, but he was always withdrawn and reserved with her. She often saw him talking to Kyouya in a low, serious (very un-Tamaki-like) voice about something. She pushes herself off the grass along with those thoughts to the back of her mind. She needs to concentrate on her studies.

The next day at school, Haruhi drags her feet to class. Part of her didn't even want to attend it and another part of her wanted to fill her mind with so many things that it blocked every thought of him. On the way to Calculus, she hears a familiar voice.

"This isn't about sides, Tamaki, we're no longer in 6th grade."

"I know that," Haruhi can hear that his voice is almost filled with heartache, "But once in a while, it would be nice to have you give me some hope."

Kyouya's sigh pierces the air with frustration, "Fine. I do agree with you on the fact that her love for you is…platonic at times. But more often than not she means it to be much more than just that."

She sees Tamaki walk over to a windowsill and grip the edge, lowering his face. With the sun shining down on him, his blonde hair emits a glow that is similar to that of a halo.

"I love her, Kyouya, but I don't want to be the one that holds her back."

She inhales sharply, wanting to protest. The only thing that stops her is the fact that they know she would have been eavesdropping on their conversation. She holds on tightly to the edge of the doorframe, wishing Kyouya would leave so she could go up to Tamaki and…slap him. Slap him so hard that he understood that she wasn't being held back at all.

Kyouya's acute eyes pick up Haruhi's form. He simply turns around and strides out of the room quickly, pretending to have never seen her. Haruhi frowns, wondering why he left so abruptly.

"Tamaki."

Tamaki spins around at the sound of her voice, his halo still shimmering brightly.

"H-Haruhi!"

She walks up to him and lifts her hand. With all the strength that she can muster, she slaps him. She puts every single emotion in that slap, her unspoken love, her wanting, her needing, her passion, her kindness, her anger, her pain, her frustration and her guilt.

The slap stings his skin painfully and reverberates for what seems like miles around him. Hastily, the sun dashes behind a long stream of rain clouds. Tamaki's halo, however, does not disappear. He stands there, his hand pressed to his cheek in disbelief, his eyes brimming with unshed tears.

"I'm sorry, Haruhi! What did I do? I'll make it up to you, I swe—"

"Why would you think," She cuts across him, "that you hold me back?"

He recoils as if her words have caused him more pain than the slap. The candle before him stood tall and proud, not to be reduced to wax before a flame with such dubiety in its heart.

"I-I-I…" He shrinks against the wall behind him, wishing to disappear into it.

"You don't!" Haruhi almost shouts. Before she can draw breath again, a breathless junior in her first year knocks on the door, "Sumimasen, but your father wishes to see you, Tamaki-kun, and you too, Haruhi-kun."

They both freeze in their act of cowering (Tamaki) and slaughtering (Haruhi). Haruhi draws back and begins to follow the junior. Tamaki scrambles after her, whispering hurriedly to her in a rush to explain what he meant. She turns to face him and hisses, "Tamaki, shut up. We can discuss this later."

This combined with the door to his father's office causes the Prince to wilt, his flame flickering feebly.

* * *

**Edited:** _21/06/10._


	6. You Can Stand Under My Umbrella

Haruhi lies completely still on the bed. Her eyes are fixed on the ceiling. She's not moving. She's barely blinking. Her lips are slightly parted, allowing her to breathe. She's not sure if she _wants_ to breathe, to be completely honest. Ever since she left Mr. Suoh and his office behind, she's been falling. Falling into a deep, empty chasm.

* * *

"_I realize that this may not be the time or the place, but I'm leaving soon and I am afraid by the time that I come back, this lovely young lady will be snatched up."_

"_Leaving? Daddy, you didn't tell me!" Tamaki whined, looking crestfallen._

"_How many times have I told you to not call me that at school?" His voice lashed out like a whip._

"_Sorry." Tamaki's facial expression fell away and was replaced by a blank, stony look. Haruhi thought it didn't suit him at all.

* * *

_

If she should be feeling something, it should be happiness. Any girl would have been happy to know…

She flinches. Her face feels stiff when she does for it is one of the first movements she has made after collapsing on the bed several hours ago. The sun is starting to rise. She rolls over, her whole body aches with the effort. If only she had moved earlier on.

* * *

"_Tamaki, I want you to marry Haruhi."_

_This was greeted with a long silence. Nothing was heard. Not the birds outside, not the practicing musicians in the courtyard. Nothing. Haruhi suspected she had heard incorrectly._

"_S-Sorry, but could you repeat that?"_

_He pressed his fingers to his aging face and repeated it. Haruhi's mind still didn't register it. She turned to look at Tamaki. He looked as if he was trying very hard to fly._

_But, of course, he knew it was impossible.

* * *

_

"Suoh Haruhi."

The name on her lips, she has to admit, almost sounds…believable. With these thoughts, she sits bolt upright and ignores the pain that shoots through her muscles.

"Mother in Heaven, what am I going to do?"

* * *

"_Well, since no one is saying anything, I take it there are no objections."_

"_You want us to what?" Tamaki came back to earth. He fell hard and fast, hitting it with a resounding crash that echoed around in his brain, giving him a large and unwanted headache. _

"_A little slow on the uptake." His father remarked, "But I want you to marry Haruhi, with her consent of course."_

_They both turned to look at her. Tamaki's eyes were brighter than his father's, but they also held what she identified as fear. She wondered what he was scared about. Haruhi felt that _she_ had every right to be scared, unlike him._

"_Um, why are you bringing this up now?"

* * *

_

She gets out of bed and presses her icy hands to her face. Haruhi perches herself on the edge of the bed, trying to rub her hands up and down her arms, but part of her still doesn't want to move. She has been shocked by an electric current going by the name of _'marriage.'_

She _can't_ marry Tamaki. He's clueless, demanding, childish, narcissistic and strange. She's also fighting with him. What sort of a marriage would it be if she agrees to wed him when she is angry with him? She didn't think she would have to face the idea of holy matrimony until she was older. Much older. She had never even thought about marriage and, to be frank, that thought didn't seem important, anyway.

* * *

_She sees Tamaki's father sigh and shake his head, "Kyouya's father wants Kyouya to marry Haruhi."_

_Haruhi froze. She was surrounded by ice. The mere thought of marrying Kyouya – The Shadow King, The Evil Lord of Low Blood Pressure – seemed even more daunting than marrying the dumbstruck blonde sitting beside her. At least Tamaki would listen to her. _

_Kyouya and I would probably have a marriage through video calling, anyway._

"_I-I think I'm maybe too young." Haruhi finally said._

"_Oh, I know. You'll just be engaged to Tamaki as soon as you turn eighteen."_

_The ice surrounding Haruhi cracked slightly._

"_Then you can marry him."_

_The crack deepened considerably._

"_What do you think, Tamaki?"_

"_I think it's," Tamaki began, "It's really Haruhi's choice."_

_The ice shattered completely. Haruhi knew she shattered with it.

* * *

_

Now Haruhi has to decide what is going to happen to her future with Tamaki. She loathes it, but she's glad that no one else is making the decision. Especially not her father.

_Haruhi Inner Mind Theatre (does she have one of these?):_

"_Dad, I'm marrying Tamaki," She says it fast in hope he'll just agree._

_No such luck, of course, or she wouldn't be in this mess in the first place._

"_WHAT? NO YOU'RE NOT, HARUHI! I FORBID YOU! I DON'T CARE IF I HAVE TO CHAIN THAT BOY UP IN A ROOM SO YOU CAN BE FREE, I WILL NOT LET HIM MARRY YOU! HOW CAN YOU EVEN THINK OF THIS? AFTER ALL—"_

_Etcetera, etcetera._

She climbs back into bed, clinging to the clichéd hope that this is nothing but a bad dream and she will wake up eventually, laughing in relief.

* * *

Haruhi does get up. But nothing has changed. It doesn't change for the next four weeks. The decision lies with her, and it haunts her every waking moment. She flops down on one of the gilded chairs in the 3rd Music Room, not touching her bento box. Tamaki sits opposite her, not eating. He folds his hands carefully as if he is going to say something of great importance. She looks at him expectantly.

Tamaki opens his perfect mouth. Then he shuts it again. Haruhi feels slightly annoyed and corrects her posture, sitting up properly, "If you're going to say something – just _say_ it."

"Haruhi, I think that if this decision is so hard for you, you should realize that you don't have to choose between Kyouya and I."

She rolls her eyes. Haruhi has already thought of this. But not wanting to crush his spirit (well, she sort of does, but Tamaki is ranting and you cannot stop Tamaki in mid-rant), she lets him carry on.

"I also know that if you do decline us both, there will be no use in really… pursuing our relationship any farther, will there?" He admits it disconsolately, "And that would hurt. But I still want you to know that I'll accept what ever you choose." He perks up slightly, smiling for her benefit, "I'd never force you into anything you wouldn't want to do. Neither would Kyouya."

Haruhi knows this all too well. It only makes the decision harder. Choosing between Tamaki and Kyouya is like choosing between black and white. Both are beautiful, both are perfect, yet both have their flaws. For white, it is its absence of black and for black, vice versa. She also knows that what ever decision she may make, will affect the Host Club – Hikaru is barely speaking to her as it is.

"Thank you, Tamaki," she says quietly, "It's good to have support."

"Also," Tamaki blushes slightly, "I'm sorry you have to choose in the first place. I didn't know my father planned on our marriage."

She smiles slightly, "If you did, would you have told me?"

He looks thoroughly and genuinely astounded at her question. "Haruhi! Of course I would!"

Her smile widens. "I know. I just like messing with you."

His shocked look melts away and turns into a gentle smile. Haruhi feels her heart do a little flip-flop and sink to the bottom of her stomach. If anything, this complicates everything more. But she can't help but smile back.

* * *

"Haruhi."

She turns around. Kyouya walks towards her, holding an umbrella in a very gentlemanly fashion but still managing to look imposing and cold. She waits for him and he takes his time catching up to her. She knows Tamaki would have run as fast as he could and then exclaimed about how wet her clothes were, voicing his many thoughts on hypothermia and begging to take her to the doctor. She's grateful for the umbrella that stops the rain hitting her skin. They feel like miniature shards of ice piercing her bones.

"I understand you have a decision to make."

"And you waited until now to talk to me about it?" Haruhi is more petulant than usual because of the rain. She hugs her books close to her chest, wishing they were warm.

"I apologize. I thought you might appreciate time to think of solutions by yourself."

She feels slightly bad for snapping at him and smiles wanly. "I thought of as many as I could. Thank you for the time."

"Have you come to your decision?'

Haruhi rubs her hand against her jaw in an act of suppressed nervousness. "No, not yet. Sorry."

"You needn't apologize." He looks slightly amused. "We still have time."

"I know, but I don't want to ruin our friendship."

They both stop at a crossing, waiting for the lights to change. The rain continues to hit the ground, falling steadily. The clouds above her look angry, almost frustrated. She hopes there will be no thunder or lighting tonight. Her astraphobia still exists.

"I don't think you will 'ruin our friendship,' if that is any condolence. I'm indifferent about our marriage, if it subsists, and more concerned for your relationship with Tamaki."

She looks at him questioningly, "What do you mean?"

"You've already told him you love him. And though at times he feels that he holds you back, I know he loves you unconditionally – perhaps too much for his own good."

Haruhi scoffs slightly, "How can you love somebody _too much for their own good_?"

"I think you underestimate the power you hold over him, sometimes," Kyouya replies smoothly. "But I trust you not to misuse it. My question is, Haruhi, if you love him so much, why not just marry him? Nothing will change except your surname."

Her mind stops. Haruhi looks at Kyouya in wonder. _Is this his way of silently saying that it's okay if I marry Tamaki?_ Haruhi feels a smile touch her lips, a warm feeling spreading to her frosty fingertips. _So, this is the Shadow King finally showing his emotions for nothing less than his best friend._

Kyouya places the umbrella in Haruhi's hands and turns away, the rain soaking his clothes. Kyouya doesn't look like he cares about his appearance at all as he pushes his, now wet, hair out of his iron-colored eyes. She watches him walk away, his figure disappearing into a haze of rain. His words made Haruhi's decision so much easier.

_But part of me is still holding back. What could be missing?_

The lights change colors in front of her slowly. Red. Orange. Green.

Haruhi surges forward and doesn't look back. The lights seem to have made her decision for her.

* * *

**Edited:** _21/06/10._


	7. My Heart Is Ever At Your Service

Haruhi is terribly wet by the time she gets home. The water seems to have soaked right through her skin, into her bones, drenching her core. By now, she isn't even cold. Haruhi shakes her head and squeezes the excess water out of her blazer before entering her apartment. Pushing open the door, she is greeted by the warmth of her small home, for which she is grateful. She looks around for her father, expecting him to pounce on her any moment in a fit of worry and jubilation (both uncalled for). When she sees no one, she frowns slightly. Haruhi walks into the kitchen and looks around. She spots a bright pink note on the fridge.

_"Haruhi! (: Working late shift tonight. I will see you in the morning, before you go to school. Love you! Daddy."_

She fingers the pink paper distractedly and then takes it down, crumpling it up in her hand. She discards it. Outside, the rain pounds harder and harder on the roof and she feels a slight amount of panic stir inside of her.

"I hope there won't be a thunderstorm…" Haruhi mutters to herself. She decides to try and fall asleep before said storm may occur. She showers quickly and climbs into bed, hoping that she falls asleep soon. Unfortunately, Haruhi lies there for quite a long time. She listens to the tick-tock of the clock, the humming of the fridge and the ever constant pounding of the rain. It almost forms some kind of lullaby. She feels her eyelids grow heavy and Haruhi falls into a deep and uneasy sleep.

_Boom._

Haruhi's eyes fly open. Her fingers clutch onto the blanket around her body. She tries to goad her mind into believing that she imagined it. It is not thundering outside. There is no lightning. She feels her body shaking and she curls up into a small ball, trying to make herself disappear. She puts a pillow on her head, muffling the echoing rumble that she pretends not to hear. Her heart beats almost as loudly as the thunder.

_Crack._

_Great, now there's lightning involved._ She screws up her face, shutting her eyes as tightly as possible. Her body tries to compress itself further, but she is quivering far too hard. Haruhi feels hot, stinging tears slide down her cheeks. She tries to ignore them, too.

_Go away. Go away. Go away._

Her heart rate increase, as does her breathing. It comes out in quick, short gasps. Haruhi's not sure if she can continue to breathe at this rate. Her eyes dart around under the blanket, in fear and in a blind sort of hope for something to save her. Anything.

She feels a pair of hands pull away at the blanket. Before she can react, a pair of earphones are placed in her ears, drowning out the sound. Then the blanket is wrapped around her trembling frame and a pair of arms follow. She looks up at her savior, half-knowing who it is already. Sure enough, she sees gold. His expression, for once, is not one of light cheerfulness, but more serious and commanding. A look of protectiveness. Of shielding. Not one word is spoken.

"_When I see your smile, tears slide down my face."_

Haruhi wonders if she should tell him about talking to Kyouya, earlier on. Would it make a difference now? Would anything change? She still had the choice to make.

"_How this world turns cold and breaks through my soul And I know I'll find deep inside me I can be the one."_

Tamaki looks down at Haruhi. He promised her she would never be alone at times like this. He wants to be able to promise her that she will never be alone _ever_. She's not trembling anymore, but the fear she felt was prominent on her face. Her hooded eyes try to conceal it.

"_I will never let you fall. I'll stand up with you forever. I'll be there for you through it all. Even if saving you sends me to heaven."_

She questions why Tamaki decided to play this song. Then she feels slightly guilty, for it could have just been a coincidence that he chose it. The words seem to emphasize the moment hanging between them.

"_Seasons are changing and waves are crashing and stars are falling all for us. Days grow longer and nights grow shorter – I can show you, I'll be the one."_

Tamaki pulls her closer, wanting to keep her there, in his arms, forever. Somehow, she always manages to slip away. She's like the Houdini of relationships. He sighs, thankfully she cannot hear, and asks someone out there to help him. He glances down at her stoic figure.

"_Cos you're my true love, my whole heart. Please don't throw that away. Cos I'm here for you, please don't walk away, please tell me you'll stay."_

Haruhi can feel his eyes on her and color rises to her cheeks. She tries not to feel uncomfortable, but it doesn't help that she doesn't know what he's thinking. The lightning illuminates the sky. Somewhere inside of her, she knows he's not going to leave her. He never will. She closes her eyes.

_"Use me as you will – pull my strings just for a thrill and I know I'll be okay, though my skies are turning grey."_

The thunder rumbles fiercely. He feels the apartment shake and before he can tighten his delicate hold on Haruhi, she buries her head in his arms, not wanting to hear anything but the steady rhythm of the music and not wanting to feel anything but the constant beat of his heart. Tamaki flushes slightly, he's not used to Haruhi's spurts of emotion. She normally likes to keep them to herself.

"_I will never let you fall. I'll stand up with you forever. I'll be there for you through it all. Even if saving you sends me to Heaven."_

Haruhi can feel his heart beating. It beats against her cheek, almost stroking her face. She breathes in his comforting scent. He smells like a hint of some expensive shampoo, something homely and something that just radiates warmth. She nestles closer. Haruhi feels safe. She admits it to herself slowly, the song begins to fade away as she drifts off to sleep, her body still pressed against his in urgency and in trust.

* * *

Haruhi gets up for the second time that day. The skies outside are still grey, but they look less angry. They look almost calm, like they've worked out their feelings in that storm. She sits up, blinking. Then she remembers why she was able to survive that night and looks around for him. She doesn't see any gold. Even the earphones are gone. She rolls over; she was obviously tucked in last night. Haruhi stares up at the ceiling, musing to herself.

_He just came_, she finally forms concrete sentences in her mind, _no questions. He didn't talk, he didn't say anything. He just kept me safe_.

She glances at the clock. She has ten minutes before she ha to get up. Haruhi sighs and figures that she may as well get an early start on the day. Then she frowns and looks at the clock again. On top if it is a neatly folded square piece of paper. Right in the middle of it is a large, red heart. She smiles in spite of herself. Haruhi opens the note and finds it ridiculously short for Tamaki. He was obviously in a rush. Perhaps her father came home early?

_"I hope you're okay, Haruhi. I love you."_

She stares at the note for a long time. Haruhi almost wishes it would give her the answer to what she should be doing. The three words Tamaki says all too often keep jumping out at her and hitting her on the forehead._ "I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you."_ She folds the note up carefully and puts it in the pocket of her blazer which hangs near her bed. Haruhi jumps when she hears someone knock at the door. She opens it without thinking about what she may look like.

"Haruhi!"

"Are you okay?"

She stares the twins. Both are aware of her astraphobia. They are dressed for school and look down at her curiously.

"… Yes."

"We came all the way for nothing." Hikaru says, slightly annoyed.

"No, Hikaru, at least now we know she's okay," Kaoru corrects him. He then takes in her appearance "You _are_ okay, aren't you?"

It's Haruhi's turn to be annoyed. "Of course I am."

"Oh well, there was a thunderstorm," Hikaru looks sheepish. "So we were worried."

_You mean you were worried_, Kaoru thinks with a yawn. Hikaru had been panicking the whole night and kept him up with his constant chattering. But Kaoru says none of this out loud, Haruhi's life is complicated enough as it is.

"We can give you a ride to school, anyway, go get dressed – we'll wait," Kaoru says politely. Haruhi lets them in reluctantly. She was looking forward to that walk to school. It would help clear her stormy mind.

* * *

"Ha_ru_-chan!"

Haruhi looks up from her English. Honey bounds up to her and grins. "You're here early, Haru-chan!"

She smiles at the loli-shota. "Yeah, I went to bed early."

"Were you okay, last night?" Honey pipes up.

She tries to look confused as to why people keep asking. Haruhi was happier when no one knew about her phobia. At least then they wouldn't be fawning over like she's on her death bed. "I was fine, thanks Honey-Senpai."

"No problem! Want some cake, Haru-chan? It always makes me feel better when I've been through something, ne Takashi?"

"Ah," comes the expected reply. Haruhi is beyond questioning where Mori appears from so randomly. She glances at him with a questioning look before turning her attention back to her English assignment, "No thank you, Honey-Senpai, I don't like sweets in the morning."

Honey pounces on the cake himself and Haruhi watches him devour it ravenously for a moment. Then her thoughts drift away. All the way to the blonde who enters the room dramatically at that very second.

"Haruhi!" He says ecstatically. Haruhi's sure that his euphoria increases tenfold in the morning for some arbitrary reason. Kyouya, who walks in after him, looks like his bad temper increases tenfold too. She makes a point of staying away from him in the mornings. Tamaki sits down next to her and smiles joyfully. Haruhi cannot manage to smile back because of last night. She feels slightly embarrassed.

"Did you sleep well?" He asks, his eyes glowing.

"Y-Yeah. Thank you."

"It's never a problem, Haruhi; didn't I promise you that I would never desert you in your times of need?" Tamaki doesn't wait for an answer and Haruhi is glad for that because she wouldn't know how to reply in the first place. "Anyway, I have a present for you!"

"… My birthday isn't for a while, Tamaki."

"It's next week, Haruhi! How can you say that?"

Haruhi groans. She knows Tamaki is going to be unnecessarily extravagant and even more exhilarated. She resists the urge to bang her hand against the table and merely sighs. "All I ask is that you do not go over the top."

"I would never!" Tamaki grins. Haruhi realizes now that her definition of 'over the top' and his definition are very different.

"I only want the Host Club and my dad there," she amends hastily. "And no one else can know about it."

His expression falls, "But Haruhi—"

"Whose birthday is this, really?"

Tamaki looks defeated. "Fine, we'll do it your way."

"Thank you." Then she feels bad for cutting him down to size so ruthlessly, "We can do something huge for your birthday, if you want."

He brightens considerably. "It shall be to your exact specifications, Haruhi!"

"That's nice." Then something dawns, "Wait, what do y—"

"Hikaru!" Tamaki gloats, "Haruhi's planning my birthday!"

Hikaru turns to look at Haruhi, scandalized. Haruhi looks at Tamaki with this expression mirrored, "_What_? When did you decide this?"

Tamaki looks confused, "You just _said_ so!"

"I didn't! I said that _you_ could plan it!"

She looks around for Tamaki. The twins burst out into laughter. Tamaki is in his corner of woe, growing mushrooms. Haruhi mutters incoherently before succumbing.

"Fine."

Tamaki springs up, "Hah! Take that you devils!"

"Hey!" Hikaru protests.

"Look who's talking!" Kaoru snaps.

The Prince recoils. "I am no devil! For shame, you two, cursing your King so!"

Haruhi face-palms. Then she turns around and continues her assignment, trying to ignore the ruckus.

"All three of you, shut _up_," Kyouya says vehemently. The three instigators cease to say anything for fear – rightly – of their lives. Tamaki slinks back to the seat next to Haruhi and whispers. "I won, though."

Haruhi rolls her eyes. "Yes, Tamaki, you win."

He smiles. "Really?"

She has this feeling they are no longer talking about the birthday planning.

"What are you talking about?" She asks edgily.

He sniffs. "There is no trust in this relationship at times."

"I find it hard to trust a superficial 'King' at times."

"I am not superficial!" Tamaki says loudly. "I'm just… open."

"Sure," she says sarcastically. "Whatever you say."

"I don't like that tone," Tamaki says, narrowing his eyes. "Are you being sarcastic?"

Haruhi lets out an exaggerated sigh. "No."

"You're lying to me! See Haruhi, this is why there is no trust!"

Haruhi hits Tamaki with her assignment. Tamaki retreats quickly, murmuring about how his wife is going to beat him to a pulp in later life. Haruhi can't help but agree. _I will hit him harder next time_.

She stares at the pieces of paper in her hand. She'd just mentally consented to being his wife in later life. She stares for a long time, almost forgetting to breathe. His wife. She _agreed_.

"Haruhi?" Tamaki kneels so he is eye-to-eye with her, "Aren't you going to class?"

The twins mimic Tamaki's posture and gaze at Haruhi too. "Haruhi? Are you there?" Hikaru waves a hand in front of her face. "Maybe she's sick?" There is a slight note of worry in his voice. He still can't put aside his unrealized feelings for her, despite all that is going on.

"Sick?" Tamaki echoes, paling. "Haruhi, my love!"

Kaoru pulls Hikaru out of the way as he dives for Haruhi. Hikaru looks dazed. "Tono! You could have killed me!"

"Someone's picking up our King's ability to be pointlessly hyperbolic," Kaoru says into Hikaru's ear with a smile. His twin glares at him. "We don't know! He could have!"

Tamaki cuddles Haruhi and she tries to wriggle away desperately. "Haruhi, let me take you to the doctor! Kyouya, where are you? Phone your doctors!"

Kyouya observes the commotion. "I think she's fine, Tamaki."

He rounds on him. "But what if she's _not_? How do _we_ know? Phone right_ now_!"

Kyouya sighs and relents. Haruhi manages to gasp. "I'm f-fine. Let g-_go_, Tamaki."

"I'm so sorry, Haruhi! Sorry!" Tamaki looks heart broken as he kneels before her, clutching her hand to his heart. She can't bring herself to pull that away from him; he looks like he's mourning. She gives him a weak smile.

"Hikaru, Kaoru, we're going to be late."

She pulls her hand away and gathers her things, still feeling bad for leaving him kneeling on the floor. "I'll see you at lunch, Tamaki."

"Sure thing! What do you want to eat?"

She shrugs. "Anything."

Haruhi has grown used to having Tamaki eat lunch with her. It is natural for them to do it now, almost. She thinks she has even forgotten how long she's been going out with him. Her brow furrows as she wonders if they are still going out. Neither of them had said anything to each other about it - it is like an untouched subject.

Kaoru glances at Haruhi and then at Hikaru. He wishes that thunderstorms didn't exist.

* * *

**Edited:** _21/06/10._


	8. Love Is Friendship Set On Fire

"What are you doing?"

"I _was_ studying until you two came along."

Haruhi shoots the twins an evil look, trying to get them to leave. They ignore her inhospitality, however, and make themselves comfortable on her couch. Haruhi lets out a long, annoyed sigh. They grin at each other.

"Haruhi, what do you want for your birthday?"

_Peace and quiet would be nice, thank you._

She shrugs. "Nothing. You don't have to go through the trouble of getting me anything, Kaoru."

Kaoru leans forward, elegantly resting his face on his hands. "Don't say that, Haruhi, it's no trouble at all. You like strawberries, right?"

Hikaru looks at Haruhi's ceiling thoughtfully. He tries to think of something _conventional_ that Haruhi might actually like. Unfortunately, all his mind is coming up with is Haruhi dressed up in a strawberry suit. He blushes and looks away from his twin. Kaoru snickers; he can imagine what's going on in his brother's head.

"Would you like anything to drink?" She offers after a moment.

"Yes, please." Kaoru says. "Do you have any tea?"

"Yeah." She gets up and brushes her top, walking towards the kitchen. She then spends an unnecessary amount of time making tea for Hikaru and Kaoru. (It does not register in Haruhi's mind that Hikaru has not asked for anything). She gives two steaming cups of tea to the twins; Hikaru looks a bit surprised at receiving tea. He is still trying to get his tongue of out the knots it has tied itself into. He looks at the red-rimmed mug in his hand and the liquid inside it. It was made by Haruhi. With love, possibly. He feels the color rise in his cheeks just thinking about it. Kaoru has had enough of being the only one talking to Haruhi, he turns to Hikaru and smiles, "Aren't these mugs quaint?"

Haruhi rolls her eyes. "They were on special. Don't hurt yourself in effort to compliment them."

Hikaru runs his finger around the edge, enjoying the feeling, "Mm. What are we doing for your birthday, Haruhi?"

_Finally,_ Kaoru thinks,_ it's not _that_ hard to open your mouth and speak to Haruhi, in the first place._

She puts down her mug and he sees that it's full of milk. Haruhi is drinking plain, cold milk. His breath catches in his throat and his hands shake a little.

_What have we _done_? Haruhi has no tea left for her!_

"Um, I'm not sure. Tamaki is planning the whole thing," Haruhi says. Hikaru can barely hear her; he's so horrified at what he has just done. "But only the Host Club and my father will be invited. I don't want the entire Japanese population there. Tamaki seems like he would do such a thi—"

"Would you like some tea for your birthday, Haruhi?" Hikaru says it in a rush.

Haruhi and Kaoru stare at him. "What?"

"T-Tea! Would you l-like some? I m-mean, everyone likes t-tea, right?" Hikaru trips over himself. Kaoru stares at him. Then his eyes fall on Haruhi's mug and he comes to the same conclusion as Hikaru. He mirrors Hikaru's appalled expression and looks from Haruhi to the mug on the coffee table.

"Yeah! Hikaru's right! We'll get you tea in every flavor possible!" Kaoru nods energetically. "Almond tea, chocolate tea, strawberry tea, lemon tea—"

"Haruhi! I'm home!"

Ranka-san bounds into the apartment and when he sees guests, he clasps his hands together in delight, "Hikaru! Kaoru! What a pleasure to see you both!"

Haruhi smiles at her father, "Father, are you hungry?"

Ranka looks adoringly at his daughter. "Nope, Haruhi, I'm fine! And look at you, drinking milk again?"

She scratches the back of her head a little shamefully. "I was talking to one of the teachers about calcium deficiencies."

Hikaru and Kaoru both keel over at this and Ranka blinks. "What brings you two by?"

Hikaru sighs. "We came to see what Haruhi would like for her birthday, Ranka-san."

Kaoru nods and takes a sip of his tea. He mentally crosses out 'tea' on his list of things to give Haruhi for her birthday. The list is surprisingly short. Haruhi is a hard person to buy a gift for. If you buy her something too expensive, she may feel embarrassed, but if you buy her something too cheap, she may get annoyed. Kaoru doesn't want Haruhi to feel like she's worthless. _I'll have to ask Ranka-san about buying a gift for Haruhi. That way Hikaru can also spend some time with her alone. Hopefully, he won't do something stupid._

Ranka-san begins to gather up the mugs and Kaoru jumps up. "Ranka-san! Let me help you with those."

"Ah, thank you, Kaoru! It is Kaoru isn't it?" He pauses, putting a finger to his chin.

Kaoru nods and smiles amicably. "Yes, you were right."

"I wish I could tell the difference between you two!" He sighs, leading Kaoru into the kitchen. "It would be most useful."

"Your daughter is one of the few people that can tell the difference between us," Kaoru says softly. He puts the mugs next to the sink and turns to Ranka. "Do you have any idea what Haruhi would want for her birthday?"

Ranka's calm expression falls away and is replaced with something tenser. "Truthfully, I have no idea, Kaoru. Every year I just get her books. I used to get her make-up and clothes, but Haruhi is not like other girls."

Kaoru leans against the sink, "Hikaru and I don't know what to get her either."

"What time is the party?"

"Six, I think. Tono's planning it."

Ranka tilts his head. "Tono? Oh! You mean Tamaki."

Kaoru notices the tone in which he says his name. Loathing it almost, but at the same time, resigned. He smiles. "Tono isn't that bad, Ranka-san."

"Yes,yes , I know." Ranka waves his hand as if he were brushing away lint. "That party is getting closer and closer."

"You make it sound like doomsday," Kaoru says, in the same resigned tone.

* * *

"Tamaki?" Haruhi says, tilting her head to one side. "What are you reading?"

He looks up from his position on the couch. He's half-sitting, half-lying on the expensive recliner, absorbed in his book. So absorbed, he did not hear Haruhi come in for the club's activities for today. He looks up in shock, wondering where she came from. _Kyouya's been sharing his super powers, I see._ Tamaki's eyes fall on Kyouya, who sits nearby, typing not-so-innocently on his laptop. The onyx eyes meet his violet ones and a small smile appears on Kyouya's face.

"Tamaki."

"Yes?"

"I am not poisoning Haruhi's mind."

_Nevertheless, I have my eye on you._

"Tamaki!"

He slips off the couch and onto the ground. "Sorry, Haruhi, sorry! Kyouya was distracting me!"

Haruhi puts her books down and then sits on the recently evacuated recliner. "I just wanted to know how the plans for my birthday are going."

_I just wanted to know if you are still inviting Japan to my birthday party and whether I should kill you or not._

"They're going great!" Tamaki sits on the floor I front of Haruhi, his eyes shining with anticipation. "I just wish you'd let me invite more people…"

"No."

"Just a few?" Tamaki pleads. "Maybe from the Black Magic Club, if you want—"

"Definitely no."

Tamaki turns around and leans his back against the recliner, pouting. Haruhi's eyes are drawn to his hair. She feels her hand lift up and begin to touch it. It's as soft as ever, and possibly even silkier. She runs her hands through it, enjoying little sparks of what felt like electricity running up and down her arm. Tamaki leans back and looks at her, smiling. Haruhi smiles back automatically.

"As wonderful as it is that you two are having so much fun," Kyouya's voice cuts through the moment. "The guests are going to arrive soon."

Tamaki sighs and gets up unwillingly. "Fine, Kyou-kun."

Haruhi doesn't really want to let go of Tamaki's hair. It feels really nice. She gets up too and brushes her uniform down as per usual. Tamaki leans down and kisses her cheek very softly. Haruhi feels color rush to her cheeks in wild torrents.

"Ohohohohoho!"

Haruhi twitches. The twins enter at that very moment and both freeze in the doorway.

"Eh, we think might—" Kaoru begins.

"—excuse ourselves from the Club activities today," Hikaru finishes. They both turn to scuttle away from the otaku in front of them but Kyouya stands in front of the door way (how did _he_ get there?) with a clipboard in his hand, "What's your excuse?"

"Otakuness."

"Very severe."

Kyouya points to Tamaki and Haruhi. Hikaru and Kaoru both slink over to them, muttering about how they were going to die soon. Honey bounces into the room with a plate full of cake, Mori behind him with several more.

"Oho! What is this I see?"

Honey topples over in alarm, his plate of strawberry cake flying into the air spectacularly.

Mori-Senpai goes past the four dumbstruck host members in a blur. He somehow ends up holding Honey, the plates of cake and Honey's strawberry cake comes to a halt as it crashes to the ground. Honey's eyes fill with tears.

"Takashi! You shouldn't have worried about me! _The cake_, Takashi, you should have _saved the cake_!" Honey rushes forward and sobs over the now ruined cake. Mori picks Honey up and puts him in his seat, giving him another slice. Honey sniffs and begins to eat slowly. "Please, Takashi, take the dead body away. We c-can have a f-funeral later."

"Ah."

Tamaki puts his hands on his hips. "What? How come Mori-Senpai can move that fast?"

_I knew it. All the Host Club members have super powers except me!_

Renge shakes her head and resumes her narration of their lives. "Tamaki has fallen for Haruhi!"

Haruhi feels her shoulders droop.

"Yet another beautiful twist in Haruhi's already complicated life!" Renge announces as the guests begin to arrive. They all crowd around Renge-chan, looking interested.

"Tamaki's fallen for Haruhi?"

"When did this happen?"

"Oh my God! Tamaki and Haruhi!"

"They would make a cute couple."

"Haruhi looks so much like a girl."

Tamaki face palms and looks at Haruhi. She looks back at him, her face impassive. Then he smiles. The smile is full of things that Haruhi can and cannot identify. You can almost see that his smile is full of surrender, like he's just giving in and at the same time, it's a defiant smile. There's one thing her expression now shows: confusion. For no reason what-so-ever, she is now confused by Tamaki. She already knew, only after many weeks did she accept it, that there was more than meets the eye when it came to him. Sure, he's obnoxious, but he'll always keep his promises and he'll never let you down. _If you think about it, he has more pros than cons. His only major con being that he's slightly – well, more than slightly – narcissistic at times. I could live with him._

She smiles at him and everything around the two erupt in fires of moe.

* * *

"That brought in more money than I expected," Kyouya says in a cheerful manner. Only one thing will cheer up Kyouya: money. (And his best friend, but Kyouya will never admit it). Nearby, Haruhi makes a disbelieving noise.

He smiles at Haruhi. "Do you have a problem with this charade, Haruhi?"

She looks up at the ceiling. "Not really. I don't have to pretend."

Tamaki appears at her side in an instant, his face looking distraught. "A Host Club member _never_ pretends, Haruhi!"

"Sure," she says. "Is that why Hikaru and Kaoru have Brotherly Acts?"

They both shake their fists at her. "Hey! We have to keep track of them, okay?"

"We can't just improvise _all_ the time!"

She rolls her eyes and begins to gather her things. "If you don't mind, I'm going now."

"Yes, yes. You can leave," Kyouya says dismissively. "Just remember that all Club activities are canceled tomorrow."

She blinks at him. "Why?"

Tamaki looks down at Haruhi, a bit surprised. "Because it's your birthday, of course."

"But you don't need to cancel—"

"Shush, Haruhi." Tamaki takes her bag from her and beings to usher her out of the room, "Let's go."

"Tamaki, why do you never carry books or anything?" Haruhi asks. She's always wonders why he never carries a bag - or even a pen.

"What's the need to?"

"How do you take notes in class?" She asks. "How do you study?"

"My bag is in the Third Music Room. Have you never seen it?"

They step out in the courtyard and begin to make their way across it slowly. "No. You never seem to carry it."

"I don't. I just take what ever books I need. Bags just _inhibit_ my beauty!"

Haruhi tries not to make any comments about his reason for not carrying a bag. She struggles to keep her face composed and takes a deep breath to steady herself. Tamaki looks at her curiously. "Are you all right?"

She veers off the subject in hope of regaining her composure. "I don't see why we have to cancel _all_ the Club activities."

"Tomorrow is a special day." Tamaki waits for the lights to change color. "You'll come to school like normal, but you'll leave as soon as it finishes. We'll take you to Kyouya's house. I'm not allowed to have a party at mine."

He sounds slightly disappointed so Haruhi pats him on the back awkwardly. "I don't mind. What do we do from there?"

"_We'll_ prepare for the party. _You'll_ spend some quality time with Honey."

"Well, that's better than being alone."

"Haruhi?"

She hears the sly note in his voice and her eyes narrow. "What?"

"Willyouwearadresstomorrow?"

_Tamaki's Dictionary. Buy now for only 199.99 dollars._

(Regrettably, Haruhi doesn't have that much money yet.)

"What?"

He inhales and says more slowly, "Will you wear a dress tomorrow?"

She doesn't say anything.

"For me?"

She still doesn't reply. Tamaki accepts defeat and stops outside Haruhi's apartment. He gives her all her possessions and puts his hands into his pockets moodily. Haruhi deposits her belongings inside the house before coming outside and shutting the door again. He looks up. "I thought you were going to study?"

"Let's go get some ice-cream."

There's something that Haruhi has been meaning to ask Tamaki for a while now.

They walk slowly, no words are being exchanged. Haruhi finds an ice cream parlor and Tamaki insists on buying.

"What would you like, Haruhi?"

"Um, a chocolate swirl, please."

"And I'll take a strawberry!" Tamaki says genially. The young girl working behind the counter flushes and smiles coyly at Tamaki. Haruhi frowns.

"Haruhi! Look! Pigeons!"

He darts off to get a closer look at them ('commoner pigeons'? Who knows what he's thinking?) and Haruhi waits patiently for the ice cream.

"Excuse me?"

Haruhi looks away from Tamaki and turns to the young girl. "Yes?"

"I-I was just w-wondering, is he y-your b-boyfriend?"

She's stuttering and stammering so much that Haruhi can only just make out what she's saying. "You could say that."

The words just leave her mouth. Even though Haruhi isn't sure herself of what she and Tamaki are, she certainly knows they're not friends. Tamaki comes back, his eyes dancing. He looks thoroughly pleased with himself. "After further investigation, I have discovered that these pigeons are no different from the ones in our gardens!"

"Jeez," Haruhi says. "They're just pigeons, Tamaki."

He deflates. "B-but, they're…"

The young woman hands Tamaki and Haruhi their ice-creams. "T-thank you for coming."

Tamaki gives her a dazzling smile. Haruhi knows he's doing it unconsciously, but it still annoys her. She tries to push away these feelings (to no avail).

"Thank you," He says kindly. Then he takes Haruhi's hand and leads her to the fountain where all the pigeons have crowded. The sun dances off the water, sending shimmers of light everywhere. Haruhi exhales and begins to eat her ice-cream.

"Why did you want ice-cream, Haruhi?" Tamaki says as he devours his. "I thought you didn't like sweet things."

"The occasional sweet thing is good," She answers.

Tamaki continues to eat his, he seems very engrossed by it. She stops eating hers and watches him instead. After a moment or two, Tamaki notices Haruhi's gaze and slows down. "Haruhi, why are you watching me?"

"I was thinking…" She turns her stare to her melting ice-cream. "I was thinking about us."

"Us?" Tamaki stops eating too. His serene expression is replaced by a confused one. "What's there to think about?"

"What do you mean?"

"Haruhi," Tamaki says, gazing at his half-eaten ice-cream. "Until you make your decision, we're still going out. I want to spend as much time with you as possible."

"You say it like you know you're not going to be chosen," She watches him wipe the ice-cream off his fingers delicately.

"No, I'm not going to say anything about that. I just feel like when you love someone, you should never leave them alone unless you have to."

She smiles. "I think I've made my decision anyway."

For a moment, Tamaki looks like he's torn in two. One half of him is clearly longing to know but another part of him doesn't want to hear anything. He struggles with these thoughts until he just shrugs and trails his free hand in the water/ "You can tell us when you're ready."

"Thank you."

They smile at each other and she feels captured by his eyes. She leans forward to kiss his cheek—

"My _ice-cream_! No! Haruhi, the waterfall _ate_ it!" Tamaki has many onlookers strolling past and watching in fascination as the striking boy mourns for his 'dead' ice-cream. He sniffs, clutching the napkin it came in. His ice-cream swims in the waterfall and birds swoop down to peck at the cone. Haruhi places a hand on his arm, trying to console him. "I'll get another one." She turns to leave, hearing Tamaki wail about how it drowned tragically, "He never even had a _chance_! _Why_? _Why_ did he leave me?"

She enters the parlor and orders an ice-cream hurriedly. The girl smiles at her and accepts the payment, "Quite a handful of a boyfriend, I see?"

Haruhi shrugs. "Even when he wasn't my boyfriend he was a handful."

"Still," the longing in her eyes is evident. "I would love to be looked at like that."

Haruhi turns away, thanking the young lady. She presents Tamaki with the new ice-cream and he looks up at her from his position on the floor. Only then does Haruhi understand what the girl meant. Tamaki hugs her tightly. "Thank you, Haruhi."

She hugs him back, appreciating his warmth and his gratitude even if it is just about an ice-cream. She looks around for her ice-cream. She can't remember what she did with it.

"That's okay, Haruhi! I wouldn't have finished mine anyway. We can share." Tamaki offers her some; looking nothing like the tragic youth he was five minutes ago.

Haruhi smiles.

* * *

**Edited:** _21/06/10._


	9. It Takes A Long Time To Grow Young

She opens her eyes slowly. Part of her doesn't want to get up. She's suspended in between the moment of being awake and sleeping. Haruhi takes a deep breath, letting her lungs expand with the intake of air. She breathes out, feeling her body let everything go. She turns to look at the clock beside her bed. 6 AM. She's been seventeen for six hours now. Haruhi climbs out of bed and rubs her forehead, thinking about the party later on.

_Truthfully speaking, it is_ my _birthday - I should be doing what_ I ___want to do…_ She sighs heavily as she thinks of Tamaki's sparkling eyes, filled with excitement at the prospect of planning her birthday party. And there she was, thinking people their age were beyond parties. She has now learned the hard way that nothing is beyond the Host Club. She gives up trying to get out of bed for now and allows herself to fall back onto the bed. Her sheets smell clean and fresh, lemon-scented. _He sometimes smells like my sheets_. Haruhi twitches _Eh? I'm comparing Tamaki to my bed sheets? Jeez, trust this to be the first thoughts I have today_. Haruhi rolls over and reaches for her phone. She picks it up and turns it on, almost dropping it as it vibrates continuously.

"You have thirty-four messages," it says in monotone to her.

Thirty-four_ messages? How come I have _that_ many?_

She dials voice-mail and listens to them. They were, basically, the same thing over and over again. The first one being from the most obvious of suspects.

"Haruhi!" He says ecstatically. "Happy Birthday! I would be over there but your daddy might kill me – you don't want me to die on your birthday right? – and I'm too young to die, as it is. I think I might die after fifty at the very least. Even that is too early! Anyway, I'm busy getting your birthday party ready! It's gonna be the best-best-best-best party ever! Aren't you excited? I am! Eh, Haruhi, I think I have to go. It's five now, I was supposed to be up half an hour ago, but Antoinette wanted to take a walk last night and I can't refuse those eyes. You know, they sometimes make me think of _your_ eyes, Haruhi! So beautiful and soulful, I could just – what? Yes, yes! I'm coming! Haruhi, I must go, I'll phone you later, okay? Love you!"

She now dreads to hear the next one. He got up at five in the morning to plan her birthday party? Who _does_ that?

"Haru-chan! Happy Birthday! I will see you at school, OK? We can have cake together, ne? To celebrate? Oh! Takashi says Happy Birthday too, Haru-chan!"

"Ah," Haruhi hears, "Happy Birthday, Haruhi."

"We'll see you at school, yes?"

Haruhi smiles slowly and listens to the next message. "Haruhi, happy birthday! Kaoru and I finally found you a birthday present – well I wouldn't say _found_, we actually—"

"Hikaru! You're going to ruin it!"

"Ah! Sorry, sorry!"

"Happy Birthday, Haruhi, we'll be sure to get you at school," Kaoru says deviously.

Hikaru laughs in the background. "Be on the watch."

_They make it sound like they're planning to do something… devilish._

"Happy Birthday, Haruhi." Kyouya's voice is cold, as always, but she can hear the sincerity in it too. "Sorry, if I am late in wishing you. I'm sure I'll see you at school."

She smiles again, knowing that Kyouya made an effort to get up and wish her. _But the whole club has wished me, who are all the other messages from?_

"Haruhi! Sorry for phoning again, I would have thought you would have been up by now. How can you sleep on such an exciting day? I don't know about you but on my birthday – yrd, that's perfect – I always get too excited to go to bed in the first place! Well, it's around five-thirty now; I'm just getting all the party stuff to get sent over to Kyouya's. Ah, I hope he's awake… I don't want to wake him up. Haruhi, if I die waking him up, know that my plan for you was that you could have the best birthday ever, okay? Also, can you cremate me? I don't want my beauty decaying over time, I rather have it be gone in an _instant_ than have it—"

And etcetera, etcetera.

She puts her phone down on her desk, still smiling. Haruhi opens her windows and sunlight comes streaming in, the warm air filling her room. She feels a sense of buoyancy and bliss take over her. Haruhi closes her eyes, feeling grateful for all she has. Then she does what she does every birthday. Haruhi sits in front of her mother's photo and presses her palms together, closing her eyes. She silently prays to her mother, still with a smile on her face. Ranka-san leans on a wall nearby, watching his daughter carefully.

_I haven't seen her this happy about her birthday in a long time_, he thinks as Haruhi gets up.

"Father, you're awake," Haruhi says in surprise. "I didn't expect you to get up early for me."

He smiles at her and hugs her tightly. "Happy Birthday, Haruhi."

"Thank you, dad. But I would be happy if you went to sleep now," she says sternly.

"Ah, Haruhi!" He whines. "Wouldn't you rather have your gift first?"

"You didn't have to buy me anything," she says softly, her hand on his arm. "You can give it to me at the party, I have to go to school now."

Ranka-san pouts at his daughter as she prepares breakfast. As soon as she turns away, he smiles. She's humming a tune her mother taught her long ago.

* * *

"_Tamaki_," Haruhi pants, slamming the door shut. "Did you tell _everyone_ it's my birthday?"

He looks up at Haruhi from his position on the floor. Tamaki is in the middle of piloting (AKA: ordering people about to do things he is unable to do) Haruhi's party. He's surrounded by people, books, highlighters, post-it notes and for some strange reason, ramen.

"Haruhi!" He says dramatically. "What are you _doing_ here? Get out! Get out! You _can't _see!" He scrambles to his feet, casting a glance back at Kyouya – who stands amongst the other people Haruhi doesn't know – and says, "Kyouya! Take care of things while I get Haruhi out." Tamaki flings open the door and pushes Haruhi out, shutting it behind him. He places his hands on her shoulders. "Weren't you supposed to find Honey-Senpai?"

"Y-Yeah, but I was chased by this horde of girls…" Haruhi trails off, blinking in shock at what just happened. "Why did you have so much ramen?"

"I like the scent," he says nonchalantly. "They must be very worried. Come, let us find—"

"Haru-chan!"

Tamaki and Haruhi both turn to se Honey running towards them, Usa-chan and Mori-Senpai in tow. Honey stops in front of them, trying to catch his breath; he looks up at Tamaki with tears in his eyes, "Tama-chan! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Haruhi was being chased by people that acted like Renge-chan! Gomen! We couldn't stop them, it was like _war_!"

"Ah," is Mori's contribution.

Honey takes Haruhi's hand. "Can we take her now, Tama-chan?"

Tamaki nods seriously. "I wonder how they found out it's her birthday?"

"That," Kyouya closes the door carefully, "is because of the Host Club website."

Tamaki has one of those mini-fits that he is prone to having when a certain two boys have done something to displease him. Fortunately, he doesn't want to cause too much commotion as he's still not ready for the party. He glares off into the distance, his violet eyes focused on the clock tower. "I'll have to deal with them later. Cancel the website!"

Kyouya pushes his glasses against the bridge of his nose firmly. "It's really no use doing such thing seeing as everyone knows already."

"How do you know everyone knows?" He says, flinging his hands into the air. "It's your superpowers again, Kyou-kun, isn't it?"

Haruhi's palm and face collide. "Good God."

His best friend stares at him. "What superpowers?"

"Aha! Don't try to hide them from me!" Tamaki points at Kyouya accusingly.

He receives a very cold glower. "I suggest we get back to Haruhi's party. Honey-Senpai, Mori-Senpai, if you please?"

"Yes, yes, Kyou-chan!" Honey salutes the Shadow King dutifully and grabs Haruhi's arm. "Come, Haru-chan!"

As Honey begins to drag Haruhi away, she turns to look at Tamaki. He stands next to one of the windows, his hand on his waist, watching her leave. His face is calm and full of optimism about the party. He's almost formed a bubble of pure anticipation around him. Tamaki's face gives the impression that this party is going to be the greatest party ever. Just by seeing that look, Haruhi knows that isn't true.

* * *

She sits opposite Honey and Mori. Honey-Senpai digs into his cake, munching away placidly. Mori sits next to him, tranquilly reading a book. She sighs.

Honey-Senpai looks up from his cake, a small frown on his face. Tamaki gave very specific instructions on keeping Haruhi happy and entertained. Didn't _ everyone_ find cake entertaining?

"Haru-chan, what's the matter?" He asks, swallowing a mouthful. Mori looks up from his book.

She turns to look out the window. The sun is dropping lower and lower in the sky, casting an orange glow on everything. It dyes the world different colors, the shadows of the buildings and furniture become elongated and almost eerie. The sun itself looks different, somewhat strange.

Nothing has really changed, of course. Haruhi knows this. Her mind is creating – _changing_ – everything she sees to make it seem bizarre because of the feeling she has inside of her. _What if something goes wrong? Tamaki's tried so hard to make this the best party ever, but what if something messes up? I would hate to see his feelings hurt…_

She tries to push the negative thoughts away when she answers Honey. "I was just thinking about the party."

For someone who looks as if he doesn't know a thing about something that is _not_ a bunny or cake, Honey is unbearably perceptive. He twiddles his spoon in his fingers thoughtfully before saying very carefully. "Are you worried about it?"

"Well," Haruhi folds her hands in her lap, "I just can't help but feel something is going to go wrong."

He takes another bite of his cake and glances at Mori (who's gone back to his book after realizing that Honey would not need any help in handling this issue). He thinks for a moment before saying, "Tama-chan really loves you, ne, Haruhi?"

Haruhi feels slightly embarrassed and bows her head, even though she and Tamaki have been going out for a while now and the Host Club has been well aware, she still feels it is more of a private matter. She clears her throat, "Um, y-yeah…"

Honey doesn't look up from his cake as he continues to eat it. "Well, Haru-chan, I think you should just be happy! This party will be lots of fun, Tama-chan says that there won't be anybody there that you don't know – didn't you choose the guests?"

"Yes, I didn't want people I didn't know there," she says sheepishly, scratching the back of her head.

"Yay! More cake for me!" He says cheerfully, "We want this to be your best birthday ever, you know? Takashi and I volunteered to keep you company today!"

This earns a fleeting look away from his book. "Ah."

Honey smiles at him. "And because Tama-chan loves you so much, Haru-chan, I don't think he'd ever let anything bad happen to you."

She rubs her right index-finger unconsciously. "But what about his feelings?"

Honey pushes his empty plate away and looks extremely content. "I think sometimes, Haru-chan, you underestimate him."

* * *

Standing in front of the mirror she feels ridiculous. Haruhi tries to move. It's not really working out too well for her, at the moment. She wriggles out of the dress and changes into her normal clothes. As soon as she pushes aside the curtains, she sees Honey's face fall. "Haru-chan, where's your dress?"

She holds it up and sighs. "I can't wear it, Honey-Senpai, I can't breathe."

"Aha! This is where—"

"—_we_ come in!"

She turns to see Kaoru and Hikaru, both lavishly dressed and grinning manically at her. Haruhi has one of those bad feelings about this again.

The twins kiss her hands and smile up at her, their gold eyes glinting with pleasure. "Happy Birthday, Haruhi!"

A dress is presented to her. And not just _any_ dress, but a dress that Haruhi can actually stomach wearing. It's not low cut, it's not short, it's not scoop-necked, and it's not too bright or too revealing. She reaches out and touches the baby blue material, silk beneath her fingers. Haruhi smiles at the twins gratefully. "Hikaru, Kaoru, thank you."

They both blush and laugh awkwardly. "No problem, Haruhi."

"Try it on!" Kaoru gives her a little push towards the changing rooms.

Haruhi slips on the dress. It passes the first test: she can breathe. The dress falls gracefully in folds of baby blue and white, just below her knees. Then she turns slightly and the material sashays with her.

She pulls back the curtain and the twins fawn over her, petting her hair and exclaiming exaggeratedly. Haruhi's grateful for the birthday present, but they don't have to go to such great lengths to make her feel "good" on her birthday.

"Haruhi, what shoes would you like?"

"Um," Haruhi feels these pointless "necessities" would never end. "I don't really know. How about I just wear my shoes?"

Kaoru laughs. "Ah, Haruhi! You're so naive!"

She tries not to look too put off by this remark. (She preferred them fawning over her and patting her hair, in retrospect.)

"You can't wear _those_," Hikaru says with a certain amount of disgust as he looks at the shoes. "With such an exquisite dress!"

Kaoru shakes his head. "The innocence!"

His twin drapes an arm around Haruhi and steers her to a nearby room. "We've picked some finalists for the selection!"

She looks up at him curiously. "Huh?"

With that, Hikaru and Kaoru throw open the door and reveal a room full of shoes. Haruhi keels over.

"I thought you said 'finalists'!" She fumes, twitching slightly at the rows upon rows of endless shoes.

"Eh, Haruhi, you're a girl, aren't you?"

She does not grace that question with an answer.

Hikaru looks meditative. "I thought all girls liked shoes."

"Well, think again," Haruhi mutters, folding her arms over her chest. "Did Tamaki order this?"

"Tono?" Kaoru blinks. "Actually, he was meant to come by to see how you were going. I wonder where he's gone off to."

Hikaru frowns. "It's not like Tono to miss seeing Haruhi."

Haruhi looks up at the twins and feels her brow crease. It is almost as if all her predictions about the party not going well are starting _well_ before the party. She stares at the shoes helplessly.

* * *

"It's not right! Bring me another, please."

Tamaki wrings his hands as he paces up and down the jewellery store. He looks harried and not as composed and flawless as his normal self.

"What about this, sir?"

She holds up the beautiful piece of jewellery and Tamaki's eyes brighten considerably. "I'll take it!"

As she wraps the gift carefully, Tamaki curses himself for not buying a gift earlier. He feels stupid – worthless, even – that he did not think of it sooner.

_No matter, now. I _must_ find Haruhi before the party!_

He glances at his watch and lets out a gasp of horror. There's a mere fifteen minutes until the party starts. The lady looks up in shock, wondering why the stunning young man looks so appalled.

Tamaki sees her stare (and her unmoving hands) and looks even more aghast. "Please, don't stop wrapping the gift! I'm going to be late and I don't know how to wrap gifts myself!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" She says, starting to wrap it faster than ever.

Tamaki bounces around the store, urging the lady to move faster and giving words of encouragement. He bolts out of the store as soon as he can, thanking the lady in a hurry. She smiles absently after him, shaking her head.

_Haruhi, I'm coming! Don't start without me!_

He climbs into the limousine quickly and tells the driver to go as fast as possible but not to break the speed limit or scare anybody. The driver rolls his eyes and drives at the same speed he always does.

Tamaki thanks him jovially over and over again.

* * *

**Edited: **_02/07/10._


	10. A Kiss Is A Lovely Trick

_"So dear I love him that with him,  
All deaths I could endure.  
Without him, live no life."  
_- William Shakespeare, _Romeo and Juliet_.

* * *

"What _ are_ you doing?"

Tamaki jumps at least sixteen feet into the air and then across the room. As far away as possible from the dark, shrouded figure next to him. The figure rolls his eyes coldly, sighing in exasperation.

"Never mind me," Tamaki says defensively. "What are _you_ doing?"

"I came to find you," Kyouya replies indifferently. "You have less than seven minutes."

"I know, I know!" He throws his hands up into the air dramatically and then spins around to face his best friend. "What do I do? I have this gift – but now it feels too wrong. What if she hates it? My world would _end_, Kyouya! She's my everything!" He sinks down onto one of the expensive, velvet chairs in Kyouya's room and feels a sense of helplessness creep up onto him.

Kyouya blinks. He knows he needn't say a thing.

_Wait! What am I thinking? I can't let her down! If she's really my everything then I can't give up now!_

He springs out of the chair and flicks his blonde hair confidentially. "I'm not giving up, Kyouya!"

Kyouya is proven right. (Yet again.)

"When did this become a matter of winning or losing?"

Tamaki picks up the small, shiny, silver bag that lay on the desk and grips it tightly. "I think it's more the matter of understanding."

Kyouya's eyes fasten on the bag, curious to know what lies inside of it. "What did you get her?" To be truthful, he expected something equivalent to the size of an elephant at the very least.

The King grins at him openly and sways the platinum bag in front of his face tantalizingly. Kyouya's eyes become hooded. Who did Tamaki think he was? Those devilish twins? He isn't shallow enough – or inelegant enough – to snatch at that bag (as tempting as it may be).

"Tamaki."

"Yes, _mother_?"

"Just go to the party."

* * *

Haruhi sits comfortably (strangely enough) at the head of a long table filled with all her closest and dearest friends and family. A stack of presents lies to the right, on a pristine white table and though she should be used to the gourmet food the Host Club takes for granted, she can barely take her eyes off the dishes. However, her anxious eyes keep darting to the stairs, expecting to see even the faintest glimmer of gold. She nibbles at her lip nervously. It's unlike Tamaki to miss any party he spent his 'own _precious time_' on. She leans back in her chair, still unable to concentrate on the food or music. The party is perfect, not being what she expected, but she knows she won't be comfortable unless she can see, feel or even just hear that narcissistic prince of hers. She twists uneasily in her seat again; she thought she had just heard his voice.

"Haru-chan?"

Haruhi's head whips around to stare at Honey-Senpai, who sits next to Mori-Senpai, placidly eating a plateful of food Haruhi is unable to identify.

"Y-Yes?"

"You shouldn't worry about Tama-chan, he would want you to enjoy the party whether he was here or not, ne?"

She chews on her lip a little more, weighing up her different feels on Tamaki. Haruhi sighs. _Honey-Senpai is probably right, after all._

"Ha-ru-_hi_!"

The singing voice is just behind her and she feels her body relax and tense simultaneously. She wants him to wrap his arms around her but at the same time she wants to throw Honey's plate of food into his face for being late.

He comes to a stop at her side and gets down on his knees, smiling beatifically. "Hey Juliet."

Haruhi softens. She can't really stay angry at him for long at all. She looks down at him, smiling, and giving in. "Where've you been?"

"_I want to stand with you on a mountain. I want to bathe with you in the sea. I want to lay like this forever until the sky falls down on me."_

For a moment, she thinks Tamaki is singing to her. But then he holds out his hand lovingly, silently asking her to dance. She accepts him grudgingly (she's just realized how hungry she is with all the unnecessary worrying she had been doing).

He sweeps her into the middle of the dance floor, swaying gently and caressing her hand. She looks into his violet eyes. They act like a kaleidoscope, reflecting and changing in the light. He twirls Haruhi around and smiles. "Where you worried?"

"No,"she says defiantly.

His smile only grows wider. "I'm sorry, Haruhi, for making you worry."

"It's fine," she mumbles. "At least call me or something next time."

He wraps his arms around her waist, cocking his head thoughtfully. "Do you think your father would mind?"

"… Yes."

He lets go quickly.

"Sorry, Haruhi, but I'd rather keep all my limbs intact for at _least_ the duration of your birthday."

She glances at the clock. "Only a few more hours, then?"

He laughs. She blushes slightly at the sound and averts her eyes. She's not normally sentimental, but watching everyone she cherishes smiling so happily makes her wish that she could stay frozen in this segment of time forever. She shakes her head slowly, laughing internally at herself. Haruhi looks up at the young man next to her, standing proudly (thought unconsciously doing so) with his head titled towards the pale moonlight and sends a prayer of thanks.

* * *

Tamaki watches Haruhi from his seat, his face resting elegantly on his hands. She's laughing with Kaoru and Honey, her whole face lighting up. He sighs with pleasure, content to be just watching her.

"Hey, Tamaki."

A voice comes somewhat awkwardly from his left and he turns. His expression falls and all the colour from his face drains away. He's sure he is gong to be murdered – or brutally tortured – soon.

_Please let my epitaph be breathtaking – let Haruhi write it!_

"R-R-Ranka-san!" He manages to squeak.

The man runs his hands through his hair and avoids looking directly into the youth's eyes. "I just wanted to talk to you about Haruhi."

"I – we – have done n-nothing! H-Honestly, Ranka-san!" He waves his hands in denial. "Please, spare my life! I am _young_!"

Ranka gives him a very cold glower. "If you've laid one hand on her…"

He pauses in mid-sentence and sighs. "That's not what I'm here to talk about, anyway."

"It's not?" The blond blinks. "W-What is it, then?"

"I am aware that Haruhi is very… _attached_ to you. But Haruhi is _my_ daughter and if you even _think_ about hurting her—"

Tamaki shoots to the other side of the room, cowering into the wall. Ranka storms up at him, flames burning on every side of him.

_Eh_, Haruhi thinks, _I hope father doesn't massacre Tamaki._

_What am I running away from, anyway?_ Tamaki thinks slowly.

"Ranka-san," Tamaki stands up straighter. "I don't know what you're thinking, but I would never hurt my precious Haruhi!"

_That's that, then,_ Ranka thinks firmly, _at least she's going out with this idiot and not someone who would take advantage of her._

But he's not about to say that out loud.

"_Your _Haruhi_? _Who said she was_ yours?_" Ranka-san screams. "You're obviously_ very stupid _if you think I'm going hand her over just like _that! _Just with a _few words _that could mean_ nothing_!"

Tamaki edges away again. He has said all he can manage right now and if Ranka-san doesn't believe him, there isn't much he can do.

"_Where do you think you're going_?"

"Nowhere, sir!" Tamaki salutes his elder pusillanimously.

"That's what I thought! Now show me your present that you are going to give Haruhi!" Ranka demands "I've been through every other present on that table and not one says 'From Tamaki' if I remember correctly!"

"T-That's because it's not there, it's in my pocket—"

Ranka snatches the silver bag out of Tamaki's expensive suit pocket as fast as lightning and turns his back to Haruhi to make sure she doesn't see it.

After several long moments of silence, Tamaki wonders if he should start running. _I knew it was a bad idea. You idiot, Tamaki! You've angered Ranka-san. Now he'll never accept you into his family._ Torrents of tears cascade down Tamaki's cheeks as he imagines Haruhi and Ranka-san both waving to him cheerfully and they move further and further away from him.

"Tamaki."

"Yes?" He blinks, his tears disappearing.

"Give this to her now." He places the present back into his pocket.

"Is it… okay?" He asks hopefully.

Ranka-san turns and walks away from Tamaki, not bothering to answer his question.

* * *

"Haruhi?"

She looks up at Tamaki expectantly, wondering what Tamaki was fingering nervously in that silver package. "Mm?"

He looks at the ground. Tamaki is scared. He's scared to disappoint Haruhi. To hurt her. He fidgets absently.

"Tamaki. Say _ something_."

He looks up at her hazel-eyes; now he is unable to look _away_. He sighs in defeat. "I have your birthday present."

"Oh, you didn't have to get me anything since you planned my party," she says kindly, smiling.

He sighs, knowing that she was just being polite. "I-I'm not sure if I should give it to you."

Haruhi tilts her head wonderingly. "Why?"

"B-Because your father," Tamaki cringes, "_Saw_ the present. I'm not sure if he likes it… because he didn't say anything to me."

"Well," Haruhi says thoughtfully. "That's probably the best reaction you could get from him."

* * *

They stand in silence in a guest room for a period of time and Tamaki debates on not giving the present to Haruhi.

_When did this become a matter of winning or losing?_ His best friend's words echo in his head.

"Happy Birthday, Haruhi."

He gives her the present unhurriedly, placing it in her hands tenderly. She gazes at the small package. She would have thought Tamaki would have bought her something ludicrously hefty and pointless. She pulls at the white silk ribbon and the tiny package opens.

Haruhi extracts a thin, beautiful white-gold chain with a fine locket at the end. She gasps. "Tamaki, this is stunning!"

He presses his index fingers together continuously. "R-really? There's a picture in the locket, too."

Her eyes droop; it's probably a picture of Tamaki himself. Haruhi opens the locket with a soft _click_. She inhales sharply. A smiling, black-and-white photo or her mother looks up at her. Haruhi clutches the locket tightly. She doesn't want to let go.

"Mother," she says quietly. She wipes away the tears that have welled up roughly. Haruhi feels a soft cloth against her cheek, wiping them away gently, in contrast to her forceful touch.

"I'm sorry, Haruhi, I didn't mean to make you cry—"

She wraps her arms around him, holding him as though she would never let him go. "Thank you, Tamaki. This is the best birthday present I've ever gotten."

"Um, Haruhi," Tamaki says uncertainly, stroking her hair. "You haven't opened the _other_ presents yet."

She laughs shakily through her tears, sniffing.

"Come now, Haruhi," Tamaki says, bringing her even closer. "This is no time to cry. It's your birthday!"

She rests her head on his chest, looking up at him. "I didn't really want a birthday party."

Tamaki's face falls. "Haruhi! I'm so sorry! We didn't have to have one! I'm so _selfish_, Haruhi, I'm sorry!"

"_But_," she continues as if she cannot hear him, "I am glad that we did."

His expression mirrors one of utter joy. "Is that so? We can have one everyday if you wish, Haruhi! Anything for you!"

He lowers his head and covers his mouth with hers, savouring her taste. Haruhi kisses him back, enjoying the feeling of _having_ Tamaki. She enjoys the feeling of being to kiss him anytime she wants, being able to know that he loves her and she loves him. He presses his hand against the small of her back possessively and strokes her hair. Haruhi feels as if she doesn't want to go back to the party, now.

"Ah, Haru—"

Tamaki and Haruhi both stop kissing abruptly, looking embarrassed and flushed. She turns her head away, still blushing furiously.

"Arai-kun," Tamaki says, surprised. "I thought you said you couldn't come?"

Haruhi spins around, still not letting go of Tamaki. "Arai-kun!"

"Sorry, Haruhi and Tamaki!" Arai says, not looking at the couple. "I didn't mean to interrupt."

Tamaki smiles jovially. "That's fine. You're here now! Aren't you delighted, Haruhi? I invited him just for you!"

Haruhi smiles too, but not as enthusiastically. She's still humiliated about Arai walking in on Tamaki and her together.

"Did you get off work early, Arai-kun?" The former asks conversationally.

"Y-Yeah," Arai mumbles. "I thought I might… Just drop by. Hikaru said it was okay to go look for Haruhi."

Tamaki's eyes narrow to slits at he thinks of the conniving twin. _You just wait, Hikaru. I am going to get you for that!_

"I didn't think I'd be," Arai looks for a word that wouldn't sound rude, "disrupting anything."

Tamaki waves his hand good-naturedly. "No, no, of course not!"

_I will make Hikaru pay for that instead, Arai-kun. Maybe I'll put bugs in his salad. Ahah!_

"Anyway, Happy Birthday, Haruhi," Arai-kun coughs, holding out an envelope.

Haruhi accepts it gratefully. "Thank you, Arai-kun! This is the second present I'll be opening tonight."

Arai can't help but wonder if the first present was standing next to her, smiling welcomingly.

_Eh, how can he be that happy about my interruption?_

He notices a small, but expensive-looking, locket in her hand. "Is that a present, Haruhi?"

"Yup," she smiles fondly at Tamaki. "From Tamaki."

"Oh, Haruhi!" Tamaki says dramatically. "It is not on yet!" He takes the locket from her and fastens it around her neck. "It looks wonderful on you, right, Arai-kun?"

Arai tries to smile at them both, squashing his feelings for Haruhi with an effort. "Yes, she looks great."

Haruhi smiles dazzlingly at them both. Arai-kun can't remember when he's ever seen Haruhi to happy and carefree. Standing next to Tamaki, she resembles some sort of princess. He backs out of the room, hastily apologizing for the intrusion.

As he walks along the corridor of the mansion, he feels insignificant. How could he have thought of confessing the feelings that never left him when Haruhi is surrounded by luxury that he could never give her? How could she want to be with him when she could be with someone like Tamaki?

_Impossible_, he thinks bitterly, _I'm fighting a losing battle. There's nothing I can do that would make a difference._

Arai glances back and glares at the door he just exited from. His whole speech, plan – even his carefully chosen card – would mean nothing now.

"Arai-kun looked troubled, huh?" Tamaki says more to himself than anyone else. "I wonder what's wrong."

Haruhi tucks Arai-kun's card away and looks at the door, "I'm sure it's just work or something. If he needs friends, he has us."

He grins down at her. "My, my, we're probably missed at the party. The birthday girl and the host gone?"

"It could lead to complications," Haruhi nods, playing along.

Tamaki blushes, his whole face glowing red. He didn't expect _that_ reply. "W-We'd better go. Kyou-kun hates people loitering in guest rooms."

"I don't think he'd mind _you_ loitering in a guest room."

Tamaki sighs. "With Kyouya, you can never tell."

Haruhi agrees with that silently. Sometimes, you think you know someone.

* * *

**Edited: **_02/07/10._


	11. You May Delay, But Time Will Not

**Warning:** Fluff alert and perhaps something a little more _serious_ because I've just made the characters go through many things. It's time for them to savour the moment. Carpe Diem, right?

* * *

It ha been two weeks since her birthday. Haruhi _still_ feels tired from attending it. She opens the door to her apartment, laden down with shopping bags and groceries. Reading through the list in her hand, she checks to make sure that she has everything she needs. Haruhi deposits the bags on the floor and mutters a curse under her breath.

"I should have checked this list earlier," she says to herself irritably. "Now I have to go _back_."

She glances at the clock and estimates that it will take her ten minutes – fifteen minutes top – to run to the supermarket and get the last item. She rushes out the door, not closing it properly in her haste.

In the meantime, Haruhi's boyfriend sits nervously at the back of his limousine, looking excited and terrified at the same time. His hands fiddle on his lap, unable to come to a rest, and his violet orbs dart from scenery to scenery. Tamaki smoothes down his shirt, wanting to look just right. He's never been quite this nervous before. As soon as he reaches Haruhi's complex, his pace slows. He is only a few feet away from her door.

_I hope it doesn't show on my face!_

With that horrifying thought, Tamaki's resolve shatters completely. He turns to scurry back to his sanctuary (also known as: Kyouya, who will undoubtedly scorn with a simple rolling of the eyes) but stops abruptly when he sees that Haruhi's door is slightly ajar.

The Prince frowns, wondering why on earth she left it open. _Perhaps she was feeling hot? I know Haruhi hasn't got an air conditioner – shocking, in my opinion. How does she manage? Maybe if you open your door in the commoner world, it is equivalent to an air conditioner?_

He pauses, his head titled slightly and eyes bright. Tamaki's mind runs through all his thoughts about 'commoner living and sentiments' before he inhales sharply.

_What if Haruhi has been kidnapped and the __awfully wicked kidnappers forgot to close the door when they snatched her away?_

He doesn't think, of course, this is _Tamaki_ we're observing. He rushes to Haruhi's door and throws it open.

If anyone, at that moment, would have happened to see Tamaki throw open Haruhi's door, they would have been utterly dazzled. He stood tall, commanding and was absolutely scandalized at the mere thought of 'his precious' being kidnapped. His black jacket had been slung over his back; his eyes were wide with fear and most off all: he took your breath away.

"Haruhi!" He calls while running around the small apartment, "Haruhi! Where are you?"

He looks high and low. He even goes as far as to look inside a small cupboard that even a toddler would have trouble fitting into. But, as Tamaki thought, Haruhi might have a shrinking-ray hidden somewhere and could have used it to hide. She is, after all, a super heroine.

He throws himself on the floor of her apartment tragically, looking as if his life is about to end.

"I cannot believe this!" He says, close to tears. "They've taken her! Taken my _whole world_ away from me!"

He dissolves into a fit of uncontrollable tears, crying Haruhi's name. "Haruhi! I will save you, I promise! I _love_ you, Haruhi, you're my world! I wanted to marry you and make _little_ Haruhi-Tamaki's that held your beauty as well as mine, they would be so _stunning_—"

"Tamaki?"

"Eee!"

Tamaki jumps up and stumbles backwards, looking thoroughly astounded. Haruhi stands in the doorway, a packet in her hand. She blinks at the older boy, wondering several things (why he's crying/why he is proclaiming his love to the table/what he's doing here/why the apartment is in such a mess).

A relieved grin suddenly spreads across his face as he surges forward, pulling Haruhi into a soft embrace. He breathes in her scent, feeling as if the world is at complete peace.

"Haruhi, my angel—"

"Tamaki, what are you doing here?" She pats him uncertainly on the back.

"—you managed to escape, didn't you? I knew you were too wily to be held down by those _rouges_ – I'll have Kyouya deal with them later!"

_Kaoru and Hikaru?_ Haruhi speculates.

"What are you talking about?" She pulls away, frowning.

Tamaki wags his tail, looking obedient and loving. "Mushrooms, Haruhi? Did you steal them from the kidnappers?"

_Kidnappers?_

"You are so smart (not to mention cute in that dress)! Did they hurt you? I promise to never leave your side again! I'll be your bodyguard, if you wish—"

"Tamaki!" She says loudly, cutting him off.

His eyes widen and his ears droop slightly. He leans forward, looking as if he would do anything Haruhi asked him to – even jump off a cliff into a minefield (which she's sorely tempted to ask him to do at the moment for cutting her off so many times).

"…_What_?" She asks, thoroughly aggravated.

"H-Haruhi, didn't you get kidnapped?" He asks her in a small voice.

"No," she replies sharply.

He shrinks slightly.

"Then where were you?" He squeaks.

"The supermarket! I forgot to buy mushrooms!" Haruhi's voice is brusque.

He shrinks further.

His voice is minuscule. "Why was the door open?"

"It only took ten minutes to go there and come back," she explains impatiently. "Why would I have to lock it?"

Tamaki disappears into nothing.

She stares, looking incensed and slightly contrite. Haruhi reaches out tentatively, wanting him to explain why he is here. They had not arranged anything.

"Tamaki?"

He looks up from his place at her feet, his eyes once more filled with sparkling tears. "Y-Yes?"

She sighs. "Do you want some tea?"

Tamaki perks up at once, bounding up from his position to sit near the table. He looks excited and is back to his quixotic manner of living. She begins to pack away the things she bought, humming to herself and thinking about how naive her boyfriend is. Suddenly, she feels a pair of arms envelop her. Haruhi freezes in her motion of putting groceries away. She can feel Tamaki's warm breath on her as he kisses her neck gently.

"I was scared, Haruhi," he says softly.

"Why?" She breathes, putting down the red peppers. "You should be more practical in your thinking."

"When it comes to you: I can't be. I get scared whenever the thought of you no longer in my life comes to mind."

Haruhi smiles slightly, turning to face him. "You shouldn't. I'm capable of taking care of myself."

"I know that. I just want you to know you have options."

She reaches out instinctively and cups his face with her hand. "Thank you."

He blushes slightly, his eyes hooded. He still finds it hard to believe that he's going out with Haruhi – that she even _agreed_ to the arrangement. He pulls her closer and kisses her.

Haruhi presses against him slightly, enjoying the feeling of his mouth against hers. She thinks of the way he first kissed her. When he had told her he wanted her to be _his_. This thought coupled with Tamaki pushing against her body hungrily results in a pleasant fluttering in her lower abdomen. She would much rather have Tamaki as _hers_.

Tamaki enjoys the taste of Haruhi; he runs his tongue on her lower lip, wanting to please her. She tightens her grip around his neck and pulls him even closer. Tamaki wraps his hands around her waist, kissing her fervently. His hands travel to the hem of her dress. Haruhi barely notices. The afternoon sun illuminates their bodies as bars of light fall across them. Tamaki pulls Haruhi onto a nearby couch, his mouth travelling towards her neck. Haruhi feels the pressure of Tamaki's hand on her thigh and blushes. She seizes his shirt securely before letting go and letting her hands run just over the rim of his pants – scared to go downwards _or_ upwards. Tamaki hesitantly lets his hands move further up, suddenly feeling uncomfortable in his pants. He shifts and looks down at Haruhi, questioning her slightly with his eyes. She blinks at him, a slow smile spreading across her face. Tamaki leans down and catches her lips in his again, his hands move further up. Haruhi pulls him against her, not sure of how far she wants to go. She knows this is not an issue with Tamaki – he would wait his whole life if he had to.

Tamaki runs his lips against her neck and she shivers slightly. He pauses. "Are you cold?"

"No," she answers. "But you made me shiver."

"Am _I_ cold?" He places a hand against his neck. "I think I feel quite warm."

Haruhi looks up at Tamaki, marvelling at his features as every person does sometime in their life no matter how much they love or loathe him. He smiles down at her, knowing that this is as far Haruhi will go today. He falls back and allows her to sit up.

She straightens her dress. Tamaki's eyes linger on her legs, travelling up her body slowly – deliberately. Haruhi feels colour rush to her face and tucks some hair behind her ears.

"You never told me why you were."

His eyes snap to her face, smiling beatifically. "I wanted to ask you to come with me to our holiday home next weekend."

"Oh." She deliberates all things that may or may not happen there. Haruhi is finding it harder to stop at just kisses, now. Part of her body just wants everything – and another part of her is wholly obfuscated about what it wants. "I might. I'll have to ask my father."

She sees Tamaki's face fall.

"Of course he will probably agree. As long as he thinks the whole host club is coming," she amends hurriedly.

Tamaki looks thoughtful. "They'll probably find their way into it, anyway."

Haruhi privately agrees. She's pretty sure they're stalking her as well.

* * *

'Next weekend' comes to fast for Haruhi. She didn't have time to do anything. Her father agreed only after quizzing her about who/why/where/when/how and any other detail he could wring out of her. She stands in front of the bathroom mirror in her apartment, staring at herself.

Now, this is not normal 'Haruhi behaviour.' In fact, she has never in her life done this before. Make-up, clothes and boys do not interest her as a rule. Yet lately, she's been fidgeting about her appearance. For the last week – ever since her 'encounter' with Tamaki on the couch – she has found that he always has his eyes on her. Tamaki is normally watching Haruhi, but of late his lavender eyes seem to watch every body movement with relish. Haruhi can't help but notice. It makes it hard for her to do _anything_ when Tamaki is watching her. She tripped over sixteen times when Tamaki was watching her simply because she couldn't look away from _him_ either, wondering why _he_ was looking at _her_. She sighs. Kyouya had not commented on this and the twins had been in a particularly bad mood this entire week until Tamaki invited the Host Club to one of his holiday homes. All of them, without a doubt, have holiday homes in the same area, but they just like to inconvenience people.

"Haruhi!"

She looks up and smiles. "Are you ready?"

"Yes!" Tamaki says euphorically. "We got in a bit of a kerfuffle when Honey-Senpai said he didn't have enough cake, but then Kyou-kun told him about the cake shop near—"

"Tamaki." His best friend materialized next to him. "We are not here to discuss cake. We need to leave."

Tamaki grins at Kyouya. "Kyou-kun! Doesn't Haruhi look gorgeous?"

Haruhi blushes.

Kyouya spares a glance in her direction. "Very nice. If we don't leave now, Honey-Senpai will disembowel us all for putting off the Promised Cake Land."

Tamaki looks faintly sick at losing any of his beloved organs. She steers them both out of the apartment, sticking a not on the refrigerator for her father. Honey-Senpai is bursting with eagerness when Haruhi sees him, rambling nonsensically about cake.

"Haru-chan!" He grins. "Kyou-chan says there is special cake when we arrive!"

She gives Kyouya a sly look. "Is that so?"

Kyouya does not look up from his book as they set off. "Are you questioning my source of information, Haruhi?"

Haruhi edges away in her seat, "N-No."

His glasses flash.

Kaoru notices Haruhi's arrival and whispers, "Haruhi!"

"Hey Kaoru… why are we whispering?" She asks.

He glances down at the sleeping figure resting in his lap. Haruhi nods and makes an 'oh' with her mouth. The twin smiles sweetly before closing his eyes too and slipping a pair of headphones on.

Tamaki sits next to Haruhi, looking pleased with himself. Those strange sparkles adorn his hair and eyes. Haruhi tries not to look at him for fear of losing her eyesight.

"Haruhi?"

She keeps her eyes firmly on the road.

"Yes?"

"Are you happy?"

_That's a strange question_.

"Yes."

He sighs with pleasure before whipping out a book and leafing through it hastily. "I would like you to take a test, Haruhi!"

"For what?" She asks suspiciously.

"It's a personality test. Kyouya is an evil dictator, it told me," Tamaki nods seriously.

Kyouya exhales loudly. "Tamaki, I am _not_ Hitler."

Tamaki opens his mouth—

"Or Stalin."

The King remains apprehensive of him. He turns to Haruhi. "Want to take it?"

"Um, if you want to."

"Okay! They are just 'yes and no' questions." Tamaki looks animated. "You are almost never late for your appointments?"

"Yes."

"You like to be engaged in an active and fast-paced job?"

"… Is being a lawyer a fast-paced job?"

"_I'm_ asking the questions, Haruhi!" Tamaki reminds her.

Sigh.

"Then… no."

"You enjoy having a wide circle of acquaintances?"

"No."

"Yes you do, Haruhi!" Tamaki protests.

She rolls her eyes. "_I'm_ answering the questions, Tamaki."

It's twenty minutes more before Tamaki is goaded into continuing the test with Haruhi.

"You feel involved when watching TV soaps?"

"No."

"You are usually the first to react to a sudden event: the telephone ringing?"

"Yes."

_How is that 'sudden'?_

"You are more interested in a general idea than in the details of its realization?"

"Yes."

"You tend to be unbiased even if this might endanger your good relations with people?"

"Yes."

"Strict observance of the established rules is likely to prevent a good outcome?"

"Yes."

"It's difficult to get you excited?"

Tamaki watches her carefully as she considers the answer. She pauses before saying. "Yes, I think so."

He resolves to find something that will make her excited in an instant.

"It is in your nature to assume responsibility?"

"Yes."

"You often think about humankind and its destiny?"

"… No."

He looks appalled. "Why not?"

"Because I think that things are the way they are now for a reason."

Tamaki mulls over this momentarily before resuming. "You believe the best decision is one that can be easily changed?"

"No. That's more like the 'easiest decision.'"

"Objective criticism is always useful in any activity?"

"Yes."

"You prefer to act immediately rather than speculate about various options?"

"No."

And so they continued for what felt like several hours more. Haruhi continued only because it gave her something to do. At last, they were at the final question just as dusk arrived.

"You easily perceive various ways in which events could develop?"

Haruhi thinks for a moment. "Yes."

He makes a little note on the book before saying. "Just one moment. I have to calculate it."

He blinks and then reads out. "You are a very expressed introvert personality, a slightly expressed intuitive personality, a moderately expressed thinking personality and a very expressed judging personality."

Kyouya looks up from his book. "The opposite of you, Tamaki?"

Haruhi speaks up before Tamaki can open his mouth. "Well, it does make sense."

"How?" Tamaki asks. "How can this _possibly _make sense?"

She smiles at him. "Opposites attract."

* * *

**Edited:** _02/07/10._


	12. Love Is Merely Temporary Insanity

Once settled, fed and watered, Haruhi finds Tamaki's holiday home extremely... large. The bedrooms are unnecessarily big, the bathrooms are filled with too many products and the kitchens are stacked with the most alarming amounts of food. She is beginning to doubt that people _don't_ live here. It seems like an everyday mansion, bustling with people and bursting to the brim with every-day items. Surely the would at least have to go and buy food?

_Hold on, Haruhi_, she thinks, _I think we're forgetting who we are dealing with here_.

And alas, she _had_ forgotten who she is dealing with. The smiling faces of the Host Club fill her mind and she sighs, knowing that they found this completely normal and didn't think twice about there _not_ being food or anything else that they made need. Haruhi doesn't want to shut the door – afraid that the massive thing might break her in half like a wafer. Everything seemed over-large at this place. She frowns to herself, perched on the edge of her bed. It's colossal – it feels like a mini continent on its own. She's afraid to go to sleep in case she's swallowed up by some sea lurking within its depths. Haruhi shudders at the thought before reprimanding herself.

_Please, it's just a bed!_ She scoffs, rolling her eyes.

Haruhi pushes herself off the bed and picks up her petite bag (_"Haru-chan! Why is your bag so small?"_). She rummages inside before pulling out a simple, white, over-large t-shirt that she found comfortable to sleep in. Haruhi pulls off her t-shirt, glad to finally get some sleep after that exhausting trip here.

"Haruhi—"

She freezes. She had forgotten about closing the mammoth-sized door. Tamaki stands frozen in the door way, looking much like a deer caught in headlights. He looks like he's sucking in all his breath, unable to breathe properly.

She covers her chest quickly and turns away, blushing furiously. "Tamaki!"

_Tamaki Inner Mind Theatre:_

"_Oh, Tamaki!" Haruhi giggles, winking at him suggestively, "Don't look at me so!"_

_He reaches out for her and purrs the words, "Haruhi, my sweet, how could I take my eyes off you?"_

"_Tama-kun! What about the others?"_

"_They will understand, my love, that I could not resist you..."_

_Haruhi blushes cutely and flutters her eyelashes, "As if I could resist you, my King!"_

"Tamaki!"

"E-Eh?" He snaps out of his daze, blinking against the sudden bright light.

She's fully dressed now and blushing brilliantly. Haruhi tries to ignore (what appears to be) miniature hearts floating around his golden hair like a pink halo, and his sappy, love-sick expression. She's very sure she doesn't want to know what just went on in his mind.

"What are you _doing_?"

He pales considerably, going from crimson to white very fast. "S-Sorry! I just wanted t-to check if you were okay, Haruhi! I didn't mean to barge in... But I wasn't _really_ barging in, to be honest, your door was open. Do you usually change with your door open? I think that's a bad idea! I don't want to have _other_ people see such a beautiful body—"

She grips the edge of the over-sized door, no longer scared of it, her expression pinched. "Tamaki. Do you want something?"

"N-No." He shuffles, looking sheepish.

"Goodnight, Tamaki," she says curtly, making to slam the door shut.

"Wait!" He cries out desperately, "I wanted to ask you something."

She sighs, "What is it?"

"Could I come in?"

Haruhi hesitates before letting him in. This time, she makes sure to close the door firmly. She's trying very hard to erase this new memory of hers from her brain – unsuccessfully.

"What is it?" She repeats, once they had both found comfortable positions on the couch.

Tamaki fiddles uncertainly, "Um, Haruhi, I wanted to ask..."

"Tamaki, I am tired. Just get to the point," she says, folding her arms across her chest.

Tamaki looks up at her. His eyes, contrary to his usually soft, lavender ones, are a sharp violet colour, piercing her velvet coffee ones with an almost laser-like intensity. His body is rigid with what seems to be nerves.

"Are you happy with me, Haruhi?"

She blinks, startled by the question. To Haruhi, it seemed like an obvious – almost _pointless_ – question. How could she not be?

"Y-Yes."

He visibly relaxes at this one word, his smile easing back into its place and his eyes melting into that soft, lavender colour. "Thank you."  
"Why did you ask?" She voices her thoughts.

He puts an arm around her, drawing her closer. "Because you should always place the happiness of the ones you love before your own."

She closes her eyes, comfortable in his embrace. "Tamaki?"

"Mm?"

"Why do you look at me like that?"

He pulls away and looks at her thoughtfully. "Like _what_?"

Haruhi pauses for a moment, wondering how to phrase it. Her mind rewinds to dinner...

"_Haru-chan! Haru-chan! You look so cute!"_

_Haruhi smiled at Honey-Senpai kindly and thanked him. Truth be told, she only wore it because she had caught her father trying to pack her suit case again and succumbed to his sobs about how he just wished she would listen to him. Haruhi always fell for it, unfortunately._

_Kyouya did not spare her a glance, this time, his eyes were focused on the blonde that was leaning out of the nearby windows, shouting down at someone._

"_Tamaki," Kyouya said. "Please stop leaning out of that window – you might fall and your father would kill me."_

_Typical Kyouya. Giving a reason for everything he said that did not involve sentimentalities. Tamaki looked at Kyouya and grinned, hearing the words his best friend did not say._

"_Sorry, Kyou-kun! Just telling Hikaru and Kaoru that dinner is ready." He pushed himself into a standing position and dusted his white t-shirt, "Where's Haruhi? I sent the maid to get her."_

"_Standing behind you." Kyouya averted his eyes to the book in his lap, now uninterested because Tamaki's safety was not at risk._

_Tamaki whirled around, smiling widely. She felt a blush rise to her cheeks as his eyes travelled up her body, pausing at the neckline of her dress momentarily. He smiled lazily._

"_Haruhi!"_

_She allowed herself to return the smile. "Can we eat now? I'm starving."_

"_Of course!" He put an arm around her waist and steered her towards the table. "We made everything we could think of!"_

_She doubted 'they' made it, but didn't really feel like killing his drive while they were on holiday._

_Throughout dinner, Haruhi felt that her face was on fire. Tamaki would always have his eyes on some part of her body or face, watching her carefully. He would always let his hands linger on hers for just a moment longer than necessary. He would always brush her side with his arm. He would always lean over to get something._

Once Haruhi was done explaining this, Tamaki's eyes were wide. He blinks, running his hands through his hair almost apologetically.

"I'm sorry, Haruhi, I didn't realize what I was doing."

She doesn't say anything.

"I guess..." He swallows. "Even if we have been going out for a while, I sometimes still can't believe it."

She laughs at this. "You're strange, Tamaki."

He looks wounded, his eyes filling with tears. "_Haruhi_! I am simply smitten with you – not _strange_. I'm perfect, how could you say such a thing? After all—"

She cuts him off for the third time this night. Haruhi places a finger against his lips. It's not something she would usually do, but she finds herself doing newer and slightly scarier things when she's around him. She's very sure 'Tamaki' is a disease but will not voice it for fear of truckloads of mushrooms invading her fridge yet again.

"It's late. Not the time for a rant."

He half-smiles at her, "Sorry? I just find you... _breathtaking_ when I look at you. I don't _want_ to look away."

Her face warms. "W-Well that certainly explains it."

Tamaki reaches out, tentatively at first, and runs his hands through her short hair gently. She looks up at him, almost fearfully. Then she thinks about how she felt last week – how she wanted Tamaki to be _hers_.

Haruhi's slight fear turns into determination – _desire_ – to possess. Simple craving fuels her. She presses her lips to his. It's soft at first, but then she feels Tamaki shifting his weight. He presses against her lips more urgently. Haruhi pulls at Tamaki's shirt, wanting him to be more passionate. He hesitates before obeying her will.

The two fall quickly into the pattern of kissing, tracing one another's lips and experimenting with the pressure. He pulls away and Haruhi utters a light curse, protesting his removal. Tamaki runs his lips along her neck, savouring the taste that only Haruhi seems to leave on his tongue. He pushes away the soft, white cotton of her shirt, moving further down. She lets out an involuntary gasp as his mouth reaches the soft skin below her collarbone. She tightens her grip on Tamaki's shirt.

He looks up as soon as he hears her quiet intake of breath. He redirects his attention to her lips, capturing them within his own.

Haruhi feels his hand move to the bottom of her shirt, but she doesn't push them away. She wraps her arms around him, drawing him closer. Slowly, she feels him tug up the bottom of her shirt, his fingers trailing along her skin. She writhes under his touch.

Tamaki discards her shirt on the floor quickly, wanting to explore. His hands run along the slim, non-existent curve of Haruhi's hips, they skitter across her stomach and he cautiously touches her chest. Haruhi feels a strange wave of a pleasure hit her, and at the same time, feels like she's bearing a very great part of her soul (not just her body) to Tamaki. His eyes darken with lust, going to a deep indigo, as they search her eyes for reassurance and confirmation. He does not touch her without her permission. Tamaki takes off his own shirt and disposes of it somewhere on the floor. He pushes his body against hers tenderly, not wanting to hurt her.

Haruhi relishes the feeling of his body against hers. The satin feeling of his body, warm and smooth. She ravages him with her eyes. He's flawless. She runs her hands against his firm abdomen and chest, varying the stress she puts on his body.

His kisses increase in their passion and force. Their bodies press together almost impatiently, wanting to simply be together. He encircles her with his arms, drawing her close. Haruhi once again enjoys the inexplicable pleasure of his body against hers.

He pulls away reluctantly after several long moments.

Tamaki looks down at her, his lips parted slightly, panting slightly. His eyes are bright, glowing, nearly. He licks his lips nervously. She smiles at him. He pushes some of her hair away from her eyes lovingly.

"You're beautiful."

She blushes, not knowing what to say.

"Now, you've just somehow become even _more_ gorgeous."

She blushes deeper and caresses his face with the back of her hand. It's smooth and unblemished, feeling like baby's skin beneath her fingers. She runs her hands through his silken hair, not breaking eye contact.

_Tamaki Suou is _mine.

She feels a smile spread across her face when she thinks those four words. One of her goals in life was accomplished, already.

"I hope you're smiling because of me?"

"What else would I be smiling about?"

He reaches down to pick up Haruhi's shirt. "I have no idea, to be honest. Homework?"

"I don't think I'd be able to think straight if I had to do homework while you were kissing me," she says, tugging on her shirt.

Tamaki stretches out languidly, not bothering to put on his shirt. "I'm not able to think straight even when I just _think_ about you kissing me."

Haruhi flushes. Tamaki somehow makes everything seem overly romantic. He is like a box of chocolates to her: everyone wants a piece, but no one can have it all for fear of over-indulgence.

"Tamaki?"

"Mm?"

"I think we need to talk."

His eyes snap back to her. "That's _never_ a good thing! The girl always says that when she's about to break up with the guy! Haruhi, please _don't_ _leave_ _me_!"

Much to her astonishment, Tamaki throws himself onto the floor in front of her, his eyes full of sparkling tears, ready to be shed. "Is it me? I know I can change! I'll do anything!"

"Tamaki..." She says faintly.

"Are you lesbian, Haruhi? I _knew_ we should have let you carry on with the Host Club once we became a couple, but Kyouya said that it would be bad for business. _Damn that Kyouya_! Haruhi, I'll dress up like a girl again, if it makes it easier – will it? Or do you prefer something else?"

She's slightly confused at this point. "Tamaki?"  
"I don't really want to have a sex change, but if you—"

"Tamaki, I'm _not_ lesbian."

"Then why, Haruhi, _why_?"

She assumes he's talking about why she thinks they need to talk. "Because I was wondering about sex."

He assumes they're still breaking up. "_Sex_? Haruhi! We don't have to have sex for the _rest_ _of_ _our_ _lives_ if you don't want us too – we can remain _chaste_!"

Haruhi frowns. "What are you talking about?"

He looks innocently unaware. "You breaking up with me because you're scared of having sex?"

"No," she answers, slightly annoyed. "I'm not scared or breaking up with you! _I just think we need to talk about sex_."

He looks relieved for a moment.

Then panic seizes him. "S-Sex?"

"Yes," she says shortly, thinking this was a bad idea.

He fidgets. "What would you like to talk about?"

Haruhi takes a deep breath, knowing this could not be put off. "Well, I've noticed that it is becoming harder to stop at just kissing each other. And, one of these days, it could probably lead to—"

"Haruhi?"

"What?"

"Can we call it 'making love,' please?" Tamaki asks in a small voice.

"...Why?"

"Because when someone chooses to do such a thing, it is out of pure love! When sex is willing, it is given with all of the person's heart and soul – the two engage in _making love_, not just simple sex!" He says dramatically, gesturing wildly with his hands.

"Fine," she agrees, not wanting to argue. "Making love."

"Carry on then, my angel," he says cheerfully.

"It could probably lead to _making love_. And I just don't know if either of us is ready."

The flamboyant blonde sitting next to her smiles. "I'll be ready whenever you are, Haruhi!"

"That's very chivalrous of you," Haruhi says. "But are you ready?"

"Of course."

She questions this.

"To _make love to me_?"

"Yes."

"_Really_?"

"Yes."

Haruhi doesn't say anything for a while.

"Tamaki, you know what I mean by _make love_, right?"

He gives her a very sarcastic look. "Haruhi, I got 98 percent on my biology test. I _know_ how things reproduce."

"But you do understand that we will not be simply _reproducing_?"

It's his turn to frown. "Yes, we will be making love."

Haruhi face palms, not knowing how to deal with Tamaki and sex at the same time.

"I think we should go to bed," she says finally.

"Haruhi?" He asks once they've reached her door.

She looks up at him. "Yeah?"

"Are _you_ ready to make love?"

"...I'm not sure," she answers honestly.

He leans down and gives her a very sweet, swift kiss. When he pulls away, he smiles at her kindly. "Don't force yourself, okay? I'm not going anywhere."

Haruhi nods. "Thank you. Goodnight, Tamaki."

He holds her for a moment, kissing her forehead as he always does. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

Haruhi watches Tamaki amble along the hallway, calling Kyouya's name delightedly. Some part of her pities Kyouya and another part of her envies it for knowing Tamaki like the back of his hand.

She wonders what Kyouya feels briefly, before falling off to sleep and having the strangest dream about lesbians, cross-dressing and making love.

* * *

**Edited:** _12/11/10._


	13. A Broken Heart Continues To Beat

_This is my only chance_, Arai thinks as he stares up at the windows. _I have got to tell her how I feel. It's now or never.__  
_He had not been able to get it off his mind. Ever since Haruhi's party, everything seemed to revolve around Haruhi knowing how he felt. Arai eventually came to the conclusion that he had to tell her, even though she is obviously going to turn him down.  
_I'm here now, _he thinks dejectedly. _No use in turning back.

* * *

_

By the time Tamaki gets back to school on Monday morning, he is positively _glowing_ with ecstasy. He parades along the corridor to the Third Music room, flashing dazzling smiles at passersby (and causing them all to swoon and convulse from the simple _beauty_ of it all), waving cheerfully to people (they were rushed off to hospital immediately, don't worry) and grinning to himself about his _one true love_. Tamaki was emitting, as Kyouya has defined it in his head, _unbearably blissful and euphoric syndrome, with a touch of his usual obnoxious self, but laced with rare spurts of content silences._ Kyouya's upfront definition is simple enough:  
_Love_.

'Okaa-san' watches his best friend burst into the Music room (are those _floating stars_ surrounding him?) and greeting everyone jovially. He skips over to Kyouya, smiling comically. Kyouya feels his own lips tug at the ends. He suppresses the urge to smile. He's very sure that Tamaki might cause him to burst out in song – too hideously out of character for his liking. He would smile a certain times, yes. He would even laugh in a dry, sort of patronizing way. But he would not burst out into song.  
Tamaki is an illness. A happy, disgustingly wonderful, beautiful illness.  
With no cure.

"Okaa-san!"

Kyouya rests his face on his hand and looks up at Tamaki. "Tamaki. You certainly seem to be in high spirits."

_Higher than usual_.

"I just feel so wonderful, Kyou-kun!" Tamaki purrs, sighing contently and looking dewy-eyed. "Where's Haruhi?"

"She had to go to an appointment. Didn't she tell you?"

He looks thoughtful for a moment. "...She might have. I was simply _captivated_ by her cheeks, though. Have you noticed the slight incline they have? Not too sharp, just the right, soft curve—"

And so is Tamaki's current state of living.

Kyouya sits patiently for as long as he can manage. After about an hour or so, he starts to fidget and begins to drum his fingers on the desk, looking patiently strained. He's sure Haruhi's cheek bones have never been discussed in such detail before. Perhaps he should stop Tamaki? No, he really can't. He's gesticulating far too wildly for anyone to stop him now.

"_I_ think that high cheek bones are overrated, personally. _Anyone_ can see that Haruhi's cheeks are the most beautiful—"

"Speaking," Kyouya says drily, his voice slightly rusty from keeping quiet for so long, "of Haruhi, do you not have to pick her up?"

Tamaki glances at a nearby clock and goes into a fit. "Ah! Kyou-kun! Thank you for reminding me! I'm _so_ sorry, I didn't _realize_ the time! I'm going, I'm going, I'm going—"

(He repeated the same two words sixteen times before he actually left the room.)

* * *

Tamaki rushes along the hallways of the building, wanting to get to the room Haruhi is inside before she can leave it. He wants to meet her there and present her with flowers, and love, and hugs, and everything—  
_Which room is it again?_

He scuttles back to the front office and repeats the question, unintentionally radiating charm in every direction. The receptionist looks slightly faint when she recited the room's number. He thanks her, smiling beatifically. Tamaki nearly skips down the hallway, clutching a bouquet of imported roses. The most beautiful roses he could find on such short notice. A delicious, vibrant red, filled with all his feelings. They are rich and warm, with delicate pink edges and deep green stalks to symbolize their growing relationship.

_She's so lovely,_ Tamaki thinks languorously, almost in a daze. _Her beautiful, perfect skin. Like porcelain – smooth and soft to the touch. Her eyes. Those indescribable, honest eyes. I wish I could hold her gaze forever—_

Yes. Tamaki does actually think these things. It is not "just an act for the ladies."

"Arai?"

Tamaki freezes just before he can round the corridor. He grips the roses, wondering what is going on. Had Haruhi asked Arai to come see her? Surely not – she sounds surprised.

"H-Haruhi." Tamaki hears him stutter shyly.

Tamaki smiles good-naturedly, making to carry on walking and greet the two.

"Why do you have roses?" He hears Haruhi ask.

Tamaki freezes again. He does not loosen his grip on the roses. _He has roses? _I_ have roses! What—?_

"Haruhi," Arai says quietly. "I have to tell you something."

Tamaki can almost picture Haruhi's innocently perplexed look, her head titled to one side and her soft eyes filled with confusion.

"What is it, Arai-kun? Tamaki's going to be here soon."

Tamaki edges around the wall of the corridor, still clutching the roses tightly. He sees Arai's expression darken considerably at the mention of his name. _No, not at the mention of _my_ name. Why would he dislike me? He seemed to like me... I thought we were friends?_

Tamaki feels as confused as Haruhi looks.

"I just..." Arai takes a deep breath. "I need to tell you how I feel about you."

One of the thorns on the stem of a rose breaks through the expensive, pretty tissue that it is encased it. It tears the delicate paper apart and drives itself right into Tamaki's unblemished skin.

He doesn't notice.

"W-What?"

"I'm in love with you, Haruhi."

Sometimes, when Tamaki was alone and has nothing better to do, he would simply stare at the sky. Some might call this daydreaming; some might call it strange – but to Tamaki: it was paradise. He enjoyed the way it made him feel. The content silence that settled around him comfortably, the steady beating of his heart, the very knowledge that he had friends and people that he cherished. His life was perfect. Tamaki had never thought – even just _once_ – that there was anything that could possibly make it better.

He would admire the way that the sunset would approach. How the reds, oranges and yellows would merge into one and form delicate pinks and deep indigos. He would marvel at the blood red of the sky, tainted with love and joy. The clouds, and their fluffy child-like shapes. The sun, glowing despite what anyone else in the world was feeling or doing. The trees, waving their branches in welcome as the wind whipped around them. The flowers, turning their faces to sun and smiling at the people strolling by. Even the sharp, emerald blades of grass, wavering in the wind. Everything seemed perfect to him.

What more could be added to this pure elation?

Then she had entered his life. It was a gradual change. Yet when he found the rare slots in his life to be alone and simply sit, staring at the sky, his mind would meander off into thoughts of Haruhi. They were simple ones at first, very vague about their intention. They commented on her clothes or her face or her personality. Then they started developing. They pointed out similarities and differences between her and him, started making comparisons and even started sacrificing traits to suit her. They eventually grew into complex, webbed thoughts about what he would do to have her by his side – forever.

Needless to say, Tamaki's 'alone time' was something he grew to enjoy less and less. It was Kyouya, of course, who steered him in the right direction at last. His many hints, pointers and blunt comments started to stir up thoughts inside of him. Thoughts that until had been pointed out could not be heard.

They were soft at first.

But they increased their volume with every passing day.

Until, finally, they began to shout at him. Urging him. Tamaki finally succumbed.

He knew he had fallen in love with her.

He knew when those reds, oranges and yellows began to sort themselves into clothes that Haruhi wore on their outings.

He knew when those delicate pinks reminded him of her lips. He knew when those deep indigos made him think of his own eyes reflected in hers.

He knew when that blood-red colour related to love in his mind – which automatically equated with Haruhi.

He knew when those fluffy clouds would somehow arrange themselves into shapes of Haruhi or things that reminded him of her.

He knew when the sun reminded how her eyes looked when they were caught in the light – a golden honey colour, with a rim of chocolate brown around the iris.

He knew when the flowers reminded him of the small presents of flowers that Haruhi would receive from Casanova-kun (or whatever his name is) that she would treasure so much.

It was silly, for a bit, to him. He was her _father_, after all.

But not anymore. Everything changed after she came to get him.  
_Everything_ changed.

"I'm sorry," Haruhi says politely. "Could you repeat that?"

"I'm in love with you."

It's obviously not getting through to Haruhi.

Tamaki grips the roses tighter, still unaware of the little rivulet of blood trickling down his hand. He can't feel anything.

"Arai-kun—"

"I know," Arai says heavily, "that you won't want to be with me. I know that. But I had to tell you! I would never be at peace if I didn't at least _try_, Haruhi. Please, I'm so sorry – but I just am."

She smiles at him softly, reaching up to pat his shoulder. "I would feel the same way. But... I'm sorry. I'm in love with Tamaki."

Arai nods curtly and accepts the statement with the lightest of flinches. Haruhi nods at him, smiling faintly, and turns to leave. Tamaki sinks down onto one of the padded chairs, the plastic moaning in protest beneath him.

_He's in love with her. Is he... heartbroken?_

He pushes the roses away from him in revulsion. The deep red was the colour of sickly blood, the pink edge taunting him – leering at him. The thick, green stems reached out to envelop his body with thorns.

He can't take this.

"Haruhi!"

She turns.

Haruhi is only one step away from seeing a distressed and uneasy King, sitting drearily, slumped on a blue, plastic chair. She looks at Arai questioningly.

"I just— I have to—"

Haruhi cocks her head, wondering what he's on about. Did he have something more to add?

Arai runs forward clumsily, tripping over himself. He looks flushed and red in the face, his hair sticking up at odd angles.

"Forgive me, Haruhi."

"For what?"

"Just forgive me."

Arai-kun reaches down and pulls Haruhi's small frame against his. They meet in a flurry of limbs and confusion. He cups the side of her face with his hand and presses his lips down on hers.  
Tamaki feels the thorns of the roses pierce the muscle in his chest – a muscle he's very sure has just stopped beating.

* * *

_Edited:_ **12/11/10.**


	14. Love Never Dies A Natural Death

"Kyouya..."

Normally, he would have ignored this pitiful, whining noise coming from the other side of his door. He would have simply continued to take notes on quantum physics dutifully. "_It is physically impossible to know both the position and the momentum of a particle at the same time. The more precisely one is known_..." Kyouya is used to blocking out Tamaki and his incessant rambles. He _needs_ to finish this paper.

"Kyouya – _please_."

He sighs. He can't block out it out this time. It is still a whine, it is still pitiful – but it is also desperate. He can hear the strain in Tamaki's voice – almost as if it is just about to break. Something had to have gone grotesquely wrong for someone so blindly optimistic and joyous to falter in his demeanour.

He unlocks his door, frowning. Tamaki stands in front of him, dry blood running down one of his hands and smeared across his once pristine white shirt. His eyes are blood-shot and red, as if he had been crying – _sobbing_, not his usual, delicate tears – for quite a while. His expression is wooden, almost devoid of emotion. He looks as if he simply has ceased to feel anything at all. He appears to still be in the same dazed, dream-like state he was earlier on today, but Kyouya can see that this is an entirely different sort of 'daze.'

He steps aside and allows Tamaki to stumble in to the room, confused and disorientated. Somewhere in the mansion, a clock chimes midnight.

"Tamaki," Kyouya says evenly. "You look terrible."

Being as narcissistic as he is, Tamaki would have normally broken down into tears and flung himself on the floor, protesting and yelping. Kyouya has to see if something is _really_ wrong, after all.

Tamaki nods at him distractedly.

Kyouya feels a thread of concern weave its way into the situation.

"Tamaki?"

His best friend collapses onto a nearby couch, his slim fingers tangled in his golden hair, almost as if he wishes to pull it out. Kyouya waits impatiently for Tamaki to _say_ something. His concern is growing by the minute. He feels a small bubble of worry begin to grow at the back of his throat. Nothing fazes Tamaki this much – _nothing_.

"They kissed, Kyouya."

There's a brief silence after these words. Kyouya tries to understand what Tamaki has just said to him.

Kyouya fails to comprehend.  
"_What_?"

"Haruhi. Arai kissed Haruhi."

Everything becomes startling clear to Kyouya when those three words are uttered. Of course this would faze Tamaki – his whole life nearly revolved around Haruhi. But that still didn't explain—

Kyouya sits down next to Tamaki, wanting to know more. "What did you do?"

He looks up at him through one eye, his face still void of emotion. "What _could_ I do? If I knew: I wouldn't be here."

Kyouya pauses for a moment. Then he says, "That was nearly eight hours ago. What have you been doing in the interim?"

"I-I was just walking. As soon as he kissed her, I just _had_ to leave. I don't know what to do! Kyouya, what do I do? He _loves_ her Kyouya! He told her that he _loves_ her! I can't think – this is too much. What do I do? You have to help me—"

"Calm yourself," Kyouya says gently (well, as gentle as _Kyouya_ can possibly be). "You have to tell me exactly what happened. There has to be a way to think logically about this."

"Kyou-kun! _Logic_ and _love_ do not associate with one another!" Tamaki whinges, reverting back to his normal self slightly. He feels reassured with Kyouya by his side. Kyouya could help him – he _has_ to be able to.

"What happened?" Kyouya repeats long-sufferingly.

"I went to fetch Haruhi, like she asked me, but when I got to the room the receptionist told me to go to, I found that Haruhi was not alone." His voice is low and dead-pan, unwilling to relive the moment. "I was about to go up to them and say hello, but then Haruhi asked him why he had _roses_. I thought, at first, that he had perhaps just wanted to give her a gift. But then he looked... odd when Haruhi mentioned my name. I thought we were _friends_ with him? Does he not like me, Kyouya?"

"I'll be able to make that assessment once you have completed your story."

Tamaki sighs. "Then he started saying that he had to tell her something. Haruhi looked really confused. And suddenly, he was telling her that he _loved_ her."

He shakes his head, not understanding. He looks like he's torn between wanting someone to have love and wanting to have love himself. "I understand, of course, _everyone _loves Haruhi! I mean, she's so—"

He catches Kyouya's eye and lapses into a mournful silence.

"And then he kissed her?" Kyouya says thoughtfully.

He makes a slight movement with his head, neither confirming nor denying this statement. Tamaki seems to want to make it false with that simple movement.

"Interesting," Kyouya murmurs. "I thought he had gotten over his initial infatuation with her a long time ago? Is that not what he said during summer?"

"That _is_ what he said!" Tamaki says, looking scandalized. "Did he _lie_ to us, Kyou-kun? That's so mean of him! I liked him! He was so kind and funny – and told the most amusing stories of Haruhi's past—"

"What was Haruhi's reaction?" Kyouya asks, clearly not paying attention to Tamaki.

"She declined him," Tamaki says proudly, smiling. "B-but then, when s-she walked away... he just _grabbed_ her and kissed her." His smile vanishes. "She didn't protest."

"Did you ever think that perhaps she was in shock?"

"W-What?"

"Well," Kyouya pushes his glasses against the bridge of his nose firmly, "If you think about it that would seem the most plausible explanation. She just declined Arai-kun's confession, but then responded to his kiss? That doesn't make sense. You are the only boy she's ever kissed, Tamaki; she must have been stunned when, out of nowhere, a boy that _is not_ you suddenly kissed her. She wouldn't know how or when to react. On top of that, she just told Arai-kun that she loved you. Why would she suddenly kiss another boy?"

Tamaki feels Kyouya's words settle in his head. He sits and stares at his best friend, wondering how he could have possibly _missed_ all these painfully obvious signs.

Kyouya seems to read his mind. "I wouldn't be too hard on yourself, though."

His best friend looks even more crushed than when he had entered the door. "Why? I've missed all of those things without thinking twice! I feel so _stupid_, Kyouya."

He smiles drily. "You were clearly in shock too, Tamaki. Correct me if I am wrong, but is this not the only serious girlfriend you have ever had?"

"I g-guess." Tamaki blinks. "What does that have to do with it?"

"I don't think you know how to react either, to be honest. This _is_ your first girlfriend we're talking about. You may spend a lot of time pleasing young ladies, but you don't spend every waking minute with them. It's more complicated in an actual relationship. There's a difference between an hour a day by delegation and an hour a day by choice."

Kyouya gives Tamaki time to understand and take in everything he has just said. He watches the small, faintly pink cogs in Tamaki's head work away to process and sort this information. It amuses him to no extent.

"What should I do now?" Tamaki asks after a moment.

Kyouya settles back against the couch. "What do _you_ think you should do?"

He looks thoughtful, picking at his bloodstained shirt. "I think I should find Haruhi and talk to her."

"No doubt she waited for you."

He pales considerably. "I c-completely forgot about that!"

"I am sure she will understand once you explain things." Kyouya rests his head against his hand. "Why is there blood on your shirt? Don't tell me you when into a mad fit of rage and killed the passersby with your bare hands?"

Tamaki gives Kyouya a very sarcastic look. "No. I just got cut by some thorns."

"You stumbled through a rose bush?"

"No, I was holding a bouquet of flowers that I had bought for Haruhi."

"So they jumped up and attacked you?"

"Kyouya, I know you get very strange in the early hours of the morning," Tamaki says evenly. "I don't know _why_ though – you suddenly turn into a strange, evil joker."

"I thought I was a superhero." Kyouya smirks. He only got 'strange in the early hours of the morning' around Tamaki. Anyone else and he felt he was blowing his cover.

Tamaki looks fidgety and shifty-eyed. "Who told you about that?"

_Hikaru and Kaoru._

"I have my sources."

Tamaki yawns and stretches. "Do you think I should go over to Haruhi's now?"

"Not unless you want more blood on your shirt. Her father will disembowel you," Kyouya warns.

They sit in a pleasant silence for a moment. Tamaki thinking about how much easier life is when Kyouya is with him and Kyouya deciding he didn't like quantum physics anyway.

"Ne, 'kaa-san?"

He looks up, one eyebrow raised in question.

"What do you think I would do without you?"

"Fail dismally."

* * *

Tamaki feels excited the next morning. It is a strange, buzzing sort of excitement, mingled with fear and the desire to drag Kyouya along with him. The only reason he _isn't_ dragging Kyouya along with him is because Kyouya only stopped working on his paper when Tamaki got up. He didn't think it would bode well if he suddenly asked him to come along to Haruhi's with him – by now, he knew better.

He pulls on his jacket and looks down at Kyouya lying on his bed, his eyes half-closed. "I'm going. Wish me luck, Kyou-kun."

"No."

Tamaki frowns, knowing that Kyouya is irritable and bad-tempered in the morning – especially when he has had no sleep whatsoever. Normally, he would have had a hernia and called Kyouya disloyal and just like '_those twins_.' Today, he feels his mouth is not functioning properly. This is unfortunate because he has a lot of explaining and begging to do. Maybe he should take Antoinette?

_No one likes fighting in front of adorable dogs!_

Oh, bless Tamaki Logic.

"Do you want me to come?" Kyouya mutters, his eyes closed.

Tamaki is touched by the offer, but knows he can't accept it. It's something he has to do alone.  
And he doesn't really want Kyouya to murder him if he says yes.

"No, it's okay. I t-think I'll just try my luck."

Kyouya doesn't bother replying. You don't need luck when you have logic. At the moment, logic said that nothing could go wrong.

He's procrastinating when he decides to walk instead of have someone drop him off at her house. Tamaki is thinking of as many ways as possible to not go to Haruhi's house – something he thought that he would never feel like doing.

He had thought of everything. From walking the dog to flying to Italy to have a nice lunch. Tamaki had discarded each thought as soon as they came, _knowing_ that he was procrastinating.

It makes him feel bad.

It makes him feel uncertain.

He stands on the other side of the road from her house, staring at the apartment complex.

He doesn't know what to feel.

If Haruhi did not accept his explanation/begging, then Tamaki knew he would not know what to do. At times, he felt he did not deserve someone like Haruhi. He loves her so much, but somehow he keeps managing to do silly things. Tamaki wants it to work so _much_ – but how can he fix _this_?

Even after all the _logic_ that Kyouya has given him, he finds himself dying a little inside at the thought of being without Haruhi. It's equivalent to taking away Kyouya. It's equivalent to taking away his life.

_Just think that right now, Tamaki, at this moment, thousands upon thousands of people are taking a deep breath to do something they're terrified of doing and plunging in head first._

This thought reassures Tamaki slightly. He feels a small burst of courage inside his chest. He _loves her_. He's not going to give up; he's not just going to give _in_, just like that.

_She said that she loves you, remember?_

Of course. She _loves_ him.

A slow, irrevocable smile spreads its way across his face. The sun beats down on him a little harder – a little brighter – and he feels as if they world is so much lighter.

"I have to try," he says softly. "_Try_. Just for her."

Tamaki begins bounding across the road, all his thoughts on the girl residing within the building he is about to reach. Kyouya's logic would come into play – he had to trust. Tamaki would entrust Kyouya with anything. His thoughts swirled as he drew closer, focused entirely on Haruhi.

He _should_ have been thinking about the road, too. Tamaki knew of fate well – he had played enough games with it by now. Didn't he understand? Or had he forgotten?

"Haruhi!"

She has just gotten back from grocery shopping and is leafing through her mail idly. Haruhi walks along the pavement slowly, not paying attention to her surroundings. She turns to see Tamaki rushing towards her, his eyes filled with too many emotions for her to pick apart. Haruhi's eyes widen.

"Tamaki! _Move_!"

Realization kicks in. Tamaki manages to turn his head just in time to see the car coming towards him. His eyes are filled with just one emotion now: _fear_.  
Haruhi watches in horror – unable to do a thing – as a car collides with his frame.

**

* * *

Edited:** _12/11/10._**  
**


	15. Let Us Make Love Deathless

**A/N:** Do not kill the author for lack of activity. Please blame all sporadic updates on parents. If, somehow, the author is murdered, the rate of updates will probably decrease.

* * *

"Tell me one more time."

Haruhi sighs. She's repeated herself so many times, saying the same words, retelling the same story. Her voice is hoarse with anxiety and exhaustion. She turns to face Kyouya, who looks down at her with the exact same expression of cold indifference he had adopted when he had first found out what had happened to his best friend.

Despite her fatigue, she manages to rasp out the story once more. Though her lips form the words and come pouring out, she still cannot grasp it herself. The doctor had already come to talk to them a little while ago, yet Haruhi begins to doubt his words.

_"Are you Mr. Suou's family?"_

_The six teenagers span around. Hikaru ran forward and gripped the doctor's hand, clutching onto it as if he could somehow bring his 'Tono' back with this simple gesture._

_"What's happened? Is he going to be all right?"_

_The doctor blinked at him, clearly astounded. When Hikaru received no immediate answer, he gave the man a desperate shake, trying to rattle the information out of him._

_"_Say_ something!"_

_His shout was desolate in the empty hallways of the hospital. It echoed throughout the ice cold rooms, the clean, whitewashed walls and the silver surfaces. It rebounded and hit them all squarely in the chest. Kaoru moved forward silently and took his brother's arm, pulling him away gently._

_"You're _all_ family?" The doctor said, adjusting his clipboard._

_Kyouya nodded stonily and motioned for him to carry on._

_He shook his head momentarily and then glanced at the clipboard._

_"Mr. Suou seems to be stable. But his breathing is somewhat irregular. While operating, we did find a number of sharp, but small, glass pieces lodged in his lower abdomen. Our main concern, however, are his ribs. He has broken three of them and came frighteningly close to puncturing his own lung. We fear there may be some internal bleeding, but other than that he's extremely lucky."_

_When no one responded, the doctor smiled at them sadly._

_"There will be no permanent damage. It will heal with time."_

"Ne, Haru-chan?"

She lifts her head out of her hands to look at the loli-shota next to her. "Yeah, Honey-Senpai?"

"You still love Tama-chan, right?"

Everyone pauses to listen to Haruhi's answer. She frowns, wondering why they would ask her something like that.

"Of course. Why would I stop?"

Honey gives a small shrug and turns towards Mori-Senpai. "Arai."

The hospital seems even colder all of a sudden. She looks at each boys' face, trying to gauge the amount of information they knew. Finally, her eyes meet a stony, onyx glare. The grey orbs blink at her apathetically. Her eyes narrow slightly.

"Kyouya-Senpai?"

"Yes, Haruhi?"

"What do you know?"

"Enough."

That answer could mean anything. It could mean 'enough to know how you've hurt Tamaki' or 'enough to know that it will not cause any damage.'

"Did he tell you?"

"Yes."

This does not make sense to Haruhi. The only way that Tamaki could have even heard or found out about Arai-kun confessing his love to her could have been-

"He was there?" She splutters, sitting upright in her uncomfortable, hard plastic chair.

Kyouya makes a non-commital jerk of his head. "It is in the past now. He knows you love him."

She pushes away the small table and looks around in disbelief. "But this is Tamaki we're talking about, he's bound to have overreacted."

His best friend allows a small smile to touch his lips. Hikaru and Kaoru even manage to laugh quietly.

"Don't blame yourself, Haruhi," Kaoru says, his arm draped around his twin. "Tono was coming to your house to apologize."

"For what?"

Honestly, these people just seem to find any reason possible to buy gifts and say sorry. Sometimes they don't even _have_ reasons.

Honey pulls Usa-chan closer to his body. "For not coming to pick you up from your check-up and for overreacting in the first place."

"But it's not like I knew." Haruhi purses her lips. If Tamaki had just left everything as it was and picked her up - if he had not been so irrational...

Of course. That's too much to ask of him. It is Tamaki Suou she's talking about. Asking him not to overreact is like asking Kyouya to dress, drag and do the hula.

Kyouya watches realization dawn on the girl's face (thankfully, his powers do not extend as far as seeing the bizarre thought of him in a grass skirt forming in Haruhi's head - obviously someone is spending too much time with a certain, slightly psychotic blonde) before averting his eyes back to the door that his best friend is sealed behind.

"It's not your fault. Just remember that much."

Honey yawns. "Silly, Haru-chan. We'd never blame you."

"As if Tono would let us," Kaoru adds.

"Would you guys shut up? You're going to wake him if we go in there making all this noise!"

"Um, excuse me, you're the one being the loudest."

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"I am _not_, Honey-Senpai. I am _not_ going to have a fight with a six-year-old!"

"Hey! Takashi, did you hear that?"

"Ah."

"They're so mean..."

"There, there, Honey-Senpai. You're not _that_ short."

"Thank you, Haru-chan!"

"Haruhi, stop lying to him."

"I am not lying to him."

"Yes, you are."

"Shut up, Hikaru."

"_All_ of you shut up."

An abrupt silence falls when Kyouya speaks. The Host Club looks on eagerly as they are lead into Tamaki's room, half-wanting to see what he looks like and half-wanting to run away. Haruhi inhales sharply when she sees him.

Tamaki is perfectly still with crisp, white sheets shrouding the lower-half of his body. There are a number of tubes running from various parts of his body to the machines humming beside him. His arms rest at his side, almost the color of the sheets that he lies upon, but with a fine golden color dusting them - the color gives him an unmistakable sign of life. His chest rises and and falls steadily, falling into rhythm with the steady beep of the heart rate apparatus next to him. His blond hair is carelessly pushed away from his stunning visage, making him look as if he is simply in a deep sleep. Tamaki's eyelashes cast long shadows across his cheekbones and they flutter slightly. Haruhi holds her breath, wanting his eyes to open. Wanting to see him. His perfect lips part, letting out a soft sigh of contentment.

Haruhi exhales at the same time.

_He's fine_.

She manages to smile at Kyouya, who allows a smirk to grace his features.

"He'll be back to normal in a few days," Kyouya says quietly, moving to the side of the bed.

"I wish he thought about normal things like crossing the road," Haruhi whispers.

"But then..." Kyouya's smirk grows wider. "He wouldn't be Tamaki."

Honey-Senpai pulls a face. "I'd hate it if someone else tried to be Tama-chan - or if Tama-chan changed."

Mori places a hand on Honey's head and ruffles his hair. "Don't worry about those things, Mitskuni."

"We'd better stop talking about Tamaki changing or anything like that," Kaoru warns. "If he gets up and hears us, we'll have a hysterical teenager on our hands."

"More like a hysterical child," Hikaru hisses.

His twin rolls his golden eyes. "When is he _not_ hysterical?"

"Perhaps we should just replace him with a stuffed toy?"

"Or a Barbie doll?" Kaoru grins.

"Perfect. They're both blond and over-zealous."

"If he wakes up and hears 'replace' along 'Tamaki'-"

"What?"

The Host Club freezes. Haruhi stops in mid-sentence, sucking all her breath in. The last thing she needs is a tantrum from her boyfriend while he's in hospital.

"But Haruhi! That avocado is obviously so much bigger!"

The group releases their breath and continues to stare at the boy lying amongst the sheets, occasionally shooting questioning glances at each other.

"Haru-chan?" Honey-Senpai finally pipes up.

Hikaru casts a curious glance at her. "What avocado?"

"Shh! I think he's saying something more."

"Kyouya - it was hilarious! Have you not watched it? He was a talking robot and asked the other marvelous talking robot if he thought he was crazy just because he had a hotel in his foot!"

Kyouya looks down at Tamaki, a proper smile lighting his features. "It seems things are returning to their state of normality."

"What are you talking about, Kyouya-Senpai?" Kaoru says wickedly.

"With an _actual_ smile on that face of yours, nothing is normal."

The said 'smile' evaporates instantly. The twins run out of the room cackling, followed by a sleeping Honey carried by Mori-Senpai. Haruhi sighs again.

"That's normal for you."

"Normal and Ouran High School Host Club do not equate. Lest they result in spontaneous implosion."

"That's not ostentatious enough," Haruhi says as they continue to watch their 'King' ramble on in his sleep. "It would have to been spontaneous combustion, so everyone could see and join in."

"Of course we must have that owl! He's so cute, he can't be a pest - look at those eyes! They're almost as beautiful as mine!"

* * *

"Haruhi! Where have you been?"

She flicks on the light half-heartedly, not answering her father's call. Dragging herself into the kitchen, Haruhi fills up the new kettle - a "present" from Honey-Senpai so he "could have tea with his cake when he came over and not at all given out of pity or because someone told me to" - and then shuffles into the lounge, where her father sits patiently, his eyes red from watching too many soap operas (and from not getting enough sleep).

"Otou-san, do you want some tea?" She says by way of greeting.

Her father shakes her head and questions her again, drawing out the syllables in her name unnecessarily.

"The hospital-"

At this point, Ranka-san flings himself at his teenage daughter (even after hearing where she had just been) and so the next twenty-six minutes and three seconds are filled with questions too embarrassing and several worried wailing noises that cannot - no matter how much your wonderful, amazing author may try - be formed by onomatopoeia. Once Haruhi had calmed her father down with several cups of cinnamon tea - a "present" from Hikaru and Kaoru so they "could have their favorite tea when they came over and not at all given out of pity or because someone told us to" - she began her explanation.

"Is he alright?" Ranka-san asks after several moments of silence, his voice a ragged whisper.

Haruhi nods and sips her own tea. "Yup. He should be up and about within a few days."

Her father struggles with the conflict of hearing that Tamaki is okay and feeling relieved and angry at the same time. His daughter sees her father's changed expression and they lapse into silence.

"Haruhi?"

"Mm?"

"How long have you been going out with Tamaki?"

Haruhi has learned from experience that talking about her relationship with Tamaki - or just Tamaki at all - does not bode well with her father. He can slip into long, seemingly endless sulks or can otherwise clutch on the edge of her clothing and have what Kyouya calls "a fatherly fit" but what Haruhi calls "stupidity."

"A while," is her short answer.

Her father fingers the expensive, green place mats that adorn their table - a "present" from Mori-Senpai because "Tamaki keeps asking us to buy you things as you apparently get angry when he does" - and lets out a sigh. "What does he mean to you?"

Haruhi allows herself the liberty of taking the time to answer. She gathers the empty cups and takes them to the sink to rinse them.

Once finished, she flicks off all the lights in the kitchen and makes her way to the room. She pauses in her doorway, leaving her jacket on the nearby couch.

"A lot."

Despite whatever ridiculously inane things he does get himself into.

And being Haruhi, she somehow manages to sigh, smile and laugh at herself all at the same time for thinking that for one moment in life, things would be ordinary.

* * *

**A/N:** Well, if you haven't gathered by now, this fic is coming to an end. Being one of my firsts, I am not sure how well I developed the characters or their relationships. I wanted to keep Kyouya's icy exterior, the twin's mischievous nature, Honey's innocence, Mori's indifference, Haruhi's subdued, yet firm, manner and Tamaki's...well, whatever Tamaki is. But I also wanted to show their growth. Just in case anyone was confused by anything, the reason that the Arai-thing was blown so out of proportion was to symbolize the fact sometimes, when we love someone, we tend to exaggerate certain things that concern them in our haste to show them our love and that everyone is not always right (not even Ryosuke Takahashi, it turns out). Being Tamaki, someone who exaggerates more than an average person on a daily basis, I decided this would be the best outlet. But this is not an angst fanfic! So, I couldn't have it sad for more than a few paragraphs. I would like to thank everyone who has stuck with this fic so far. :D

Epilogue will come.. eventually. I just wanted to post the thank you's and what-not's up here so the final chapter would be neat and tidy. :)

If a reader has a suggestion for a new OHSHC fanfic - I **do not** do any pairings that stray from the Haruhi/Tamaki path, sorry - or a question please send them my way. I'd be glad for an occupation, seeing as I have time to waste.

Happy reading. :)

* * *

**Edited:** _12/11/10._


	16. The Best Thing About Me Is You

"One more! Just _one_ more, please!"

Haruhi lets out a sigh, but doesn't protest. "Okay, but only one more! I'm really tired."

She strides over to the bookshelf at the other end of the mammoth-sized library. After living with him for over six years, she still didn't understand the need for everything to be so _large_. Shaking her head, she selects yet another book to read to the over-excited five year-old sitting in front of her.

"How about _The Little Mermaid_, Akira?"

"I love _The Little Mermaid_!" She squeals in assent. "Can we color in after? And have cake?"

_Well, she certainly picked up some of her father's traits, that's for sure_, Haruhi thinks with a small smile.

She stares at Akira for a while, taking in the same dusty-blonde hair as Honey-Senpai - old habits die hard - and big, hazel eyes. They shine brightly in the light of the chandelier (why was there a chandelier in the library of all places?) and she lets out another sigh as she thinks about her own blonde, over-zealous attachment.

"Aunt Hauhi?"

She snaps out of her daze with a start, giving Akira a very distant smile. "Yes?"

"When will you and Uncle Tamaki have a baby? I really want a baby brother or sister!"

Haruhi gives an awkward laugh, not really sure what to say to the small girl. Children can be amazingly straightforward in their speaking and almost brutally honest. She hadn't spoken to Tamaki for a week now, since he had to rush off in order to take care of some work in Germany. She didn't really know what he did - all she knew was that he had taken over the Suou business after his grandmother passed away and his father retired.

"I'm not really sure, Akira. I've never talked to him about it before..."

"Aunt Haruhi?"

"Yes, Akira?'

"Can you tell me how you and Uncle Tamaki got married as a bedtime story instead?"

* * *

**Six years ago: Haruhi, Kaoru and Hikaru's graduation, Ouran Academy**.

_"Haruhi!"_

_She had turned to see who it was (thought she needn't, really, because his voice had a particular ring to it) and before she knew, was enveloped in his arms._

_"Oh Haruhi! I'm so proud of you! You did so well, too. Not that I doubted that, I always knew you were the most amazing girl in the world! Your father must be so proud too! Where is he? And where's everyone else? Am I early, or something? Wait, hold on! Am I late? Oh God, Haruhi, I'm so sorry! I don't know how I even got late - I blame England, to be honest, they held me up with all their talks of fish and chips. How unhealthy! They should be eating sushi and carrots sticks! In fact, I was meant to bake you a carrot cake, but then the thing with England came up - now that I come to think of it, I don't even remember why I went there... Do you know? Did I tell you? They seem to just make business meetings for nothing, these people, like it's going out of fashion. Not that business is a fashion (what terrible taste someone would have to have to make it a fashion), but you know what I mean. At least I think you do? Sometimes I feel like I just don't make sense-"_

_And so it went on for several moments like this. Haruhi, held in his arms as he rambled on about everything that could possibly exist (and even things that didn't)._

_She didn't stop Tamaki. It was like breathing again, to finally feel his touch after months of him being out of the country and her studying for her finals. She could feel her heart rate return to normal just hearing his voice again._

_Haruhi didn't say this out loud, of course. She's not a fool._

_"Haruhi? Why are you so quiet? Have I done something wrong, Haruhi?"_

_She looked up into his panicked, violet orbs, his golden strands of hair falling carelessly into his face. Several of Haruhi's peers were watching the couple, some even eyeing the famous Tamaki Suou. He didn't seem to notice them, however, as his eyes didn't move from Haruhi's face._

_"Of course not," she said, smiling slightly._

_"Where are the others, though?" Tamaki looked around the empty hall. "I was hoping to see everyone."_

_"Oh, they went to Kyouya's for the party. We'll leave soon enough," she said nonchalantly. "How was the trip?"_

_"Good, I think! But that's not important." He flicked his wrist, as if waving the topic away. "I'm so, so, so sorry for not seeing you graduate, Haruhi!"_

_"It was England's fault," she replied in amusement._

_"But it was!"_

_Haruhi laughed for the first time after what feels like years. Now that she had gotten her grades, she was all set to enter law. The question, remained, however, as to what would happen between Tamaki and herself._

_"I missed your laugh," he said softly, raising his hand to cup her face. His eye color shifted to a lighter purple - like a creamy lavender. They were warm._

_"Maybe we need to talk, Tamaki," Haruhi said, leading him to one of the many gardens._

_He looked around cheerfully as they strolled past the hedges and rose bushes. "Hasn't changed."_

_"It never will."_

_At length, Haruhi finally cleared her throat. She felt unsure of how to begin or end... she wasn't even sure what was supposed to go in between the two._

_"Tamaki?"_

_"Hai?"_

_"What's going to happen to us?"_

_He blinked and stopped in his tracks, his blissful expression hardened and cracked like clay, before falling away. "What do you mean?"_

_"I'm going to _University_, Tamaki," Haruhi said slowly._

_"And I'm going to work?"_

_She stared at him. "Won't it be difficult? To see each other or something?"_

_"Why?" He shrugged. "I come here to see you. It will be the same wherever you choose to go to University."_

_"But you don't come here especially for me!" She said reasonably. "I don't want to make you go out of your way."_

_"... Who do you think I come here for?"_

_"Kaoru? Hikaru? Kyouya?"_

_Tamaki laughed, his whole face lighting up. "Haruhi! Kyouya doesn't live in this part of Japan anymore - in fact, he's normally at all the business meetings I go to."_

_"What about Hikaru and Kaoru?"_

_"They'll be moving to France, too, right after graduation. Kyouya, Honey and Mori all already have residences there. I believe the twins just bought a really nice place by the sea... We should go visit!"_

_"Are you telling me that your sole purpose for coming all the way to Japan is to see me?"_

_"... Yes?"_

_Haruhi had never really considered a deep relationship. Never considered getting married or having children. Sure, one day it would be nice, but it never crossed her mind as something she really wanted to pursue with a passion as she did with law. But standing there, in Ouran Academy, under the burning sun, with the sound of the people so far away, she could only hear the fountain singing out to her nearby and Tamaki's words. _He_ was something that she wanted to pursue with a passion. And she wasn't about to let him leave her (though she seriously doubted he ever would). No matter how many times he was hit by cars, jumped off bridges or mistook her for a boy, she wanted him to be there._

_"Tamaki?"_

_He looks up at her witth an almost dazzling smile (the sun glinting off those perfectly white, straight teeth?). "Yes, Haruhi?"_

_"Let's getting married."

* * *

_

"Oh, Haru-chan!"

Haruhi looks up to see Honey-Senpai standing in the doorway. He's still as cute as ever, but has grown a few inches over the last few years. He smiles brightly at her. She presses a finger to her lips to indicate that Akira is asleep. He nods in understanding before tip-toeing into the library.

"Thanks, Haru-chan! I just needed to have a quick talk with Tama-chan about my stores. I couldn't find a baby-sitter in time," he whispers, scooping the little girl up into his arms. Honey smiles at her lovingly.

"Tamaki's back?" Haruhi asks quietly.

Honey looks up in shock. "You didn't know?"

"He said he didn't know when he would be home." She frowns to herself.

"I'll tell him to come and see you?" He grins cheerfully.

Before she can protest, Honey-Senpai is out of the door and gone to fetch Tamaki. Haruhi feels slightly lonely without Akira at her side, chirping away happily about her friends and bunnies and cake. It's like having a female Honey-Senpai around to keep you company.

"Haruhi?"

She starts and almost falls off her chair when she hears his voice. "Tamaki-Senpai!"

He looks at her for a long time. "You haven't called me that in ages... Are you alright? Shall call the doctor in? Or would you like a glass of water?"

Haruhi notices that his ramble sounds less enthusiastic now, and more worn. Approaching him, she examines his face for the first time in weeks and sees small red threads running in his eyes and the skin under them slightly darker than the rest of his perfect matte complexion. He still manages, somehow, to look flawless.

"Are you.. okay?" She says, reaching out to touch his face. "You don't look well at all."

He smiles wanly. "I'm just a bit tired. I'm really sorry I didn't get to tell you I'm coming home - I just got on the plane and went to sleep."

"It's fine, really," she says, feeling slightly worried. "I just ... I missed you."

Over the years, Haruhi has slowly grown more comfortable with expressing her emotion with Tamaki. Tamaki has also grown a lot more mature, ever since he took control of the family business. Neither of them liked the long periods of time they were separated and the unexpected calls in the middle of the night. Haruhi's job is demanding, but nowhere as near as demanding as Tamaki's. He decided he wanted to be "orthodox" about his training and do the full six-year course that his father had planned for him. Some part of him regrets it now, but he is glad that he learns so much and gets to travel - he just wishes it could be done with Haruhi and not alone.

His expression softens. "I missed you, too."

She leans in automatically, wanting to taste what she has been denied for so long. She feels Tamaki draw her closer.

"Suou-sama?"

They both jerk apart and the maid bows apologetically. "Sorry, Suou-sama, but Ootori-sama has called and invited you'll over to Italy for the next week. He asks that you please confirm by tomorrow."

Tamaki thanks the maid and she bows out respectfully. He sighs - but with pleasure. "This is fantastic, Haruhi!"

"Why?" She blinks.

"Because this means that Kyouya has canceled the next week's business meetings!" He grins, some of the more exuberant Tamaki leaking back into his demeanor.

"Really?"

"Yes!" Tamaki says, leading her to their bedroom. "And since it's only Wednesday, it means I have eleven days of rest. Oh, the joy! How I love Kyou-kun!"

Haruhi laughs as she fishes out her over-sized shirt to sleep in. "I'll have to phone and take the week off... I hope they don't mind."

"No, no!" Tamaki grabs her by the shoulders. "Take _eleven_ days off! I want to spend as much time as possible with you!"

Haruhi nods slowly. "I'll call in the morning?"

"Thank you, Haruhi!" Tamaki presses her body close to his. He inhales her familiar scent in ecstasy. "I really missed you."

She pulls back slightly, determined not to be interrupted, and presses her lips to his. He responds enthusiastically - she can feel him returning to his normal self in her arms.

Tamaki pulls her into the bed. He doesn't really know how far he plans to go, or when he plans to stop. All he knows is that he doesn't want to leave her. Haruhi doesn't really know what's happening either. As each layer of clothing is discarded, neither of them protest to it. He pushes his lips to the hollow of her neck, closing his eyes. "I've waited too long for this."

"You're really just making us both wait longer," she says raggedly.

His hands run though her chocolate-colored hair as their bodies meld. Her nails run down his back. The room was almost silent, except for the slightly rustling of the sheets and the occasional sigh or moan.

Tamaki kisses her wrist. "I love you."

She feels a smile touch her lips. She had almost forgotten just how easily he can make her smile. "I love you, too."

* * *

A few days later, Tamaki sits in the library pouring over a book he was aching to finish but never had the time. He's bathed in sunlight, almost completely hidden by a large couch scattered with cushions.

"Tamaki!"

He jerks up, dropping the book in the process. Scrambling up from his sitting position, he stands up to see Haruhi in the doorway, her chest heaving, a small white thing clutched in her hand. Tamaki tilts his head to one side inquisitively.

"What's that thing, Haruhi?"

"Tamaki ... pregnant," she manages to say, trying to catch her breath.

"Don't be silly, Haruhi. I'm a _boy_, I can't be pregnant," he says, smiling good-naturedly.

After a moment, however, it sinks in and hits him squarely on the forehead.

"_WHAT_?"

* * *

_**Fin**_.

* * *

**A/N:** Tamaki is such a machine. :D Oh well, that's the end of that. :) It ends as all love-comdies do: with a bang. And if it makes you feel any better, here's a little something to seal the Tama-Haru deal:_  
"They live happily ever after."

* * *

_**Edited:**_ 12/11/10.  
_(After editing everything... I cannot believe how many grammatical errors there were. :O I'm so glad most of them are gone. But if you do happen to spot one, please let me know. :) Again, thanks for making my first fic such a success, everyone!)


End file.
